In ‘PHYTOPOLIS: The Living City’, (Other Press ), author Stefano Mancuso writes on how the ‘destiny of the city’ is not solely in the hands of municipal offices or architecture firms but also in the ‘activities of its citizens’, who also modify the spaces and structure of the city with their daily actions.
Over the past several years, the concept of ‘residential narrative’ has become the central focus of my research on walkability. For me, it’s clear that these ‘narratives’ can offer endless insights into diverse experiences and perceptions of the city, be valuable for truly inclusive and holistic urban planning, and also serve as a kind of ‘urban and built environment oral history’.
I photographed the cover of the book ‘PHYTOPOLIS’ earlier this month at Lake Głębokie (a lake in name only) where you can see ‘impressive English oaks with circumferences of 280-305 cm, as well as many other magnificent specimens of greenery’ (Visit Szczecin website). I thought the rich, verdant setting, connected to city neighbourhoods by tram, is a really great example of a ‘living city’ environment where humans have access but the flora and fauna of nature is also strongly prioritized.