Who are we designing for? What if the needs of trees were valued as much as the needs of humans? Kira Clingen (MLA I, MDes RR), Carson Fisk-Vittori (MLA I), Shira Grosman (MLA I AP, MDes ULE) Landscape Architecture IV: Four Semester Core Studio Instructor: Rosalea Monacella
It is easy to assign monetary value to the city tree. A dollar value quantifies how much carbon they absorb, how many health benefits they are estimated to offer, how many gallons of rainwater they catch, and even their aesthetic appeal. But this form of value and evaluation limits the view of city trees to utilitarian, anthropocentric perspectives, and it limits our investment in their life—the city tree has a seven-year
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Right to Grow: A Manifesto
life expectancy. This project critiques the valuing of trees as resources for human benefit and instead proposes the revaluation of trees as intentional purposeful beings. This requires a reconfiguration of the urban assemblage.
Climate Change Core Studio Justice Plants Policy