Slg0085 Sketching Nature based solutions for cities – Frits Ahlefeldt: Nomad & Walking philosopher

I went out to the UN city in Copenhagen to cover a conference about how to use nature in the cities better. Here is a handful of the drawn stories inspired by the day

How do we create better cities using nature

Text and drawing by Frits Ahlefeldt

It was a hot summer day and behind the presenters in the UN city, was a view of the Copenhagen harbor, where people were bathing and swimming in the newly designed areas across from the huge UN building windows. The water in Copenhagen is now clean enough so we can swim in it, and a lot op people were happily using this new option.

I listened to the presentations, the challenges are growing, we are facing both a climate and biodiversity crises, and also a crises of how to build the new cities, where more and more of us will live in the future.

UN letter shaped building drawing (di02220 )

I sketched up a building made of the UN letters, surrounded by a disaster landscape as the presenters talked about the urgency of moving to the other side of words now. Now is spelled “NU” in Danish, So I drew the building so if one walked to the other side it spelled out that we need to act now…

Not sure if it would make sense I sketched on.

Nature based solution flowerpot drawing (Di02222)

One of the problems with many Nature Based Solutions, or NbS, as they are called in short, is that investors are skeptical. Nature consist of interacting circular systems, and investors are not in for the circle, but for the profit, so how to get profit out of a circular system often leaves them worried.

I drew up a flowerpot wit nature in it, and an investor trying to extract enough profit from it to make him happy, while fearing both invasive species and other threats to his investment:

Drawing of a flower pot with nature based solutions, and a businessman trying to extract a profit. Illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt
Illustration ref: di02222

Experts skeptical of nature based solutions drawing (Di02224)

Another challenge is that many experts are not to happy about NbS, as nature is more dynamic and complicated to grasp than the mechanical solutions we are used to, so wanted to sketch up how:

  • businesspeople wonder how to get rich from Nature based Solutions
  • City planners worry how to fit them into the sterile grid they’ve been educated in creating.
  • Traffic engineers fear NbS will take space from their beloved cars
  • Culture experts fear it will be a break with 5000 years of building Civilization in contrast to Nature
  • And then there are the many city dwellers who think the experts know best…
Drawing of a person with a plant, proposing green solution, to doubtful businessman and experts, while citizen think they know best. Illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt
Illustration ref: di02224 – ( Many experts who think they know best are male 🙂 )

But we need to move on, it is so important that we understand that experts are often experts in what has been done up to now, but not experts in alternatives to it, so instead we to to experiment a lot more than we do.

I took out a new piece of paper

Going from words to action drawing (Di02223)

It is said that a problem can’t be solved on the same level that caused it. We need to move up, and forward, testing, doing crazy new green solutions, try out planting trees in new ways, and stop thinking we need to figure out everything out in theory, in advance.

So I sketched a lot of two dimensional theory paper people and someone starting to plant trees and creating Nature based solutions, moving up as new understandings starts to grow.

Drawing of paper people and theorists talking about understandings, and a young person, climbing to a new level, to plant trees and create change. Illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt
Illustration ref: di02223

Looking at the drawing I realized that papers are trees too, just in another form, a form we have to reverse, less paper more living trees.

Starting out from a point drawing (Di02219)

So how to start? Sketched up a building shaped nature spot, and made it flow out and overtake the places of cars.

Because, even though we haven’t got all the answers in place, most important is that we move beyond words and start to experiment with all the Nature based solutions we can imagine… now (nu) 🙂

Drawing of a nature filled urban platform, surrounded by cars, Illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt
Illustration ref: di02219

Back outdoors

Soon the conference was over and I looked out of the windows to where people outside were swimming in the harbor, maybe many of the answers to how to design better cities are already here, we just need to look in new places.

The water is the perfect commons, nobody owns it, it flows around the planet, and you can’t take owner”ship” of the sea, in the same ways as we do in the city.

I packed my reportage gear down, maybe we can find more inspiration from the sea, and the way all oceans are one. Headed back to my studio with my notes, sketches and inspiration from both inside and outside the UN city, for the drawings here.

 

See my whole storyline grid here

Source: Slg0085 Sketching Nature based solutions for cities – Frits Ahlefeldt: Nomad & Walking philosopher

Triple PISSED – Belladonna’s Flashlight

As soon as the sun comes out and the temperatures rise, the annoying salespeople come knocking!

So here I am, sitting at my desk trying to get work done; Larry is in his igloo catching up on rest, and suddenly, the doorbell rings. It would be okay if they rang the bell once or twice. But no, they ring, ring, ring, and knock.

At this point, Larry is losing his mind trying to get to whoever is at the front door. I’m trying to calm him down and screaming, “WHO IS IT?” simultaneously.

Larry is still barking like a maniac, so I can’t hear who he said he was. So Instead of answering the door, I scream, “JUST LEAVE YOUR CARD AT THE DOOR .”Not that I was going to answer the door anyway. We live in a crazy world, so if I didn’t order something or you don’t have an appointment to do something at my house, then please keep it moving!

Now I know folks have to make a living, but I wish that living didn’t include interrupting my train of thought and waking up my loud co-worker! This dog is fussy and will try to sit on my lap while I work. It takes a treat, a walk, and a 10-minute belly rub to get him to escape into his igloo for a long nap. And then, just like that, one or three rings of the bell and all of my hard work right down the drain. And all for a guy who would like to look at my roof.

I don’t care what anyone says. I will never buy an expensive new roof just because you knocked on my door and rang my bell. It’s not like they’re selling cupcakes, NOPE it’s a costly roof.

I budget for those types of purchases! 

Now that I’m writing this, I’m tripled pissed; well, quadruple but triple sounds better;

  1. You’re a stranger beating on my door
  2. You made me lose my train of thought
  3. Do you think I’m going to purchase an expensive roof on a random Tuesday?
  4. Last but not least, you woke up my fussy co-worker

Sir, if you knock on my door again, I might have to give you a firm pat on your back.

You could have chosen any blog to read, but you chose mine, and I’m honored!

~Belladonna~

Source: Triple PISSED – Belladonna’s Flashlight