Soil as Commons
This is a summary of my Master in Design Studies thesis which investigated a landscape architect’s relationship to soil through the framework of the commons.
Forming a Position on Soils
Soil is the medium in which landscape architects work, yet how it is discussed and represented in the field further promotes its depletion rather than its growth. Treated as a static material, soil is often a site condition to conquer or a medium to exploit solely for productivity.
The current conception of soil is too constrained to conceive of its stewardship. Yet, without living soil, we do not have the means to support ecological and urban systems. A different ethic must be established, instilling a sense of responsibility for its health and being. During my time in the MDes ULE program, my research culminated in a thesis project that argued for a new framework of soil as commons.
The commons can have a physical footprint, like a park or urban infrastructure, where collective soil management is carried out and displayed. But it is also a social practice that emphasizes collaboration and flexibility. This reframing expands the conventional understanding of what soil is and why it is valued by recognizing:
1. Soil is not an inert material. Soil is alive.
2. Soil is not a material flow. Soil is tied to a particular place.
3. Soil is not the sum of its performative functions. Soil is influenced by, but not subservient, to humans.
4. Soil is not ‘seen’ from an anthropocentric view. Soil and humans are part of an interdependent web.
In the near future, climate change and other pressures will accelerate land degradation processes (1). The more soil is expected to perform for only human society, the more inhibited it becomes in supporting the rest of the ecosystem (2). Redefining soil as a common resource recalibrates the human-soil relationship from extractive to additive with time and intention. Understanding soil through a common use relies on local knowledge and traditional practices to bridge a connection to soil. Seeing soil under a common governance underscores how its stewardship is a social practice requiring participation. Landscape architects are uniquely poised for this advocacy with the tools to build awareness, ecological integrity, and cultural practices. Soil as commons is a normative claim to our cities and landscapes, championing an economy of effort and a philosophy of care for the environmental systems that support us.
Footnotes
(1) 2018. “The IPBES assessment report on land degradation and restoration.” Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3237392
(2) 2015. “Soil – A Precious Natural Resource.” Brändle, Gabriela & Urs Zihlmann. www.bafu.admin.ch/ud-1090-e17
Details
GSD MDes Thesis
Spring 2020
Advisors: Montserrat Bonvehi Rosich & Alex Wall
Featured
Published in “Reading Beyond” (2020-2021)
GSD 2020 Thesis Exhibition
