Description

Published in Empathic Design: Perspectives on Creating Inclusive Spaces, edited by Elgin Cleckley, this book chapter reflects on the processes of creating To Middle Species, With Love, to illustrate an approach to empathic design.

Chapter excerpt:
In the context of urbanism, conversations about sustainability tend toward strategies of resilience and green infrastructure. In thinking about our cities, we recognize that urban habitats—and the deleterious effects of habitat loss—are significant conditions to contend with, and we recognize flora and fauna for their significant roles in “ecosystem services,” in other words, the role that ecosystems have in supporting human needs. Yet the role of animals—as sentient living beings—is often marginalized within current discourses of “sustainable design.” How might we shift the consideration of animals beyond the scope of regulations, “services,” and “performance”—to include agendas of spatial experience, care, ethics, and identity?