Urban Nature Series Part 1: Dualism

Nature.

What are you thinking of, as you read the word I singled out?
What was the first picture that came to your imagination?

Depending on where we live and what kind of natural environments we are exposed to, the images may differ. You might be thinking of a tropical rainforest with monkeys swinging off the branches of vine-embraced trees. He might be thinking of a pristine beach with a sparkling blue ocean extending to infinity. She could be thinking of glistening snow-capped mountains and pine trees bent by the wind. 

I wouldn't know.

But, one thing that I know for sure is that you do have a mental picture of what nature is. So do I.

The next question: now, did you see yourself anywhere in those mental pictures?

Probably not. I did not instinctively put myself in those pictures.

We - by default - exclude ourselves from "nature". Why?

We have been conditioned to have a mental dualism: man vs nature, urban vs rural, man-made vs natural. The role of nature in cities have been largely influenced by the modern planning ideology of Le Corbusier, of high-density urban centres to house the people and leave the surrounding nature alone.

He also perpetuated the modern-day fascination of seeing nature through a frame, as evident in his design of Villa Savoye, where "natural landscape" is framed by the perfect geometries of windows. 

Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye: framing nature
(Source:http://www.karenknorr.com/)

Interior of Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye
(Source: wikiarquitectura.com)

Villa Savoye: Tiptoeing lightly on the Earth

The detachment from nature despite Corbusier's obsession with the sun, the sky and the trees can be puzzling. Yet, it can be explained by a simple analogy. Nature, in this context, has been relegated into the role of an expensive porcelain vase that is to be kept in a glass case and to be visually enjoyed without being touched or tampered with. The celebrity idol we love to watch on TV, but whom we would never have a real relationship with.

Isn't that the kind of obsession we see pervading our urban mindset? We are no longer directly involved with the nature in our imagination. Nature is confined to TV screens, photographs, postcards, window glasses, and once-a-year visit to nature reserves. We do not normally think of nature beyond these framings when we go about our daily lives, sitting in air-conditioned room amidst a concrete jungle. We no longer think of nature as the "here and now" of our existence. 

Please do not get me wrong. I am in no way putting all the blame on Corbusier for getting all of us to estrange ourselves from our perception of nature. Yet, he is the man who managed to pull together this deep-seated mindset into a concrete form (pun intended. ugh). It is a mindset that has been with us since the Renaissance period or even earlier, but perpetuated by industrialization and modernism.

Now, at least we are aware of this. However, we continue to tread on the thin ice. What do we do, then? Do you suggest that we go back to the caves and forage for a living? Not likely. But maybe, we can start with realizing that nature is all around us, even as we sit on a leather sofa, drink from a plastic bottle or step on granite floor. They are from nature. Like it or not, nature shapes our urban environment and urban lifestyle.

When we see roots sticking through our concrete sidewalks. When we see vines taking over an abandoned house. When we feel the drizzle on our skin. When we breathe the air. It is all part of nature.

Suddenly, it is not so hard to imagine an Urban Nature, don't you think so? Nature takes over our constructed urban environment not because it is taking revenge on human, but because we are part of the natural system.

So, now, which is nature and which is urban?