NatureNook: Ecological street furniture for and by more-than-human communities

Ecological street furniture for and by more-than-human communities
The "NatureNook" research project takes as its starting point several societal challenges. Cities are under increasing pressure from climate change and demographic shifts such as an ageing population and growing diversity. At the same time, social challenges such as loneliness and a lack of inclusive meeting spaces are at play. Current street furniture focuses primarily on functionality and aesthetics, with little attention to social interaction or ecological added value. Often there is even ‘hostile architecture’: designs that discourage certain behaviour, such as use by the homeless. There is a need for street furniture that is ecologically sustainable, circular and socially inclusive, and thus contributes to the resilience and quality of life of more-than-human urban communities.
A living lab will be established within a single pilot location, where circular, climate-adaptive, and inclusive street furniture will be developed and tested through a co-creative process. The project will explore how this furniture can not only offer functional or aesthetic value but also function as a shared infrastructure for encounters, care, and connection between diverse users (both human and non-human).
The research combines design research, material research, and participatory methodologies to generate concrete, applicable insights. Expected results include a working prototype, accompanying design and maintenance guidelines, and recommendations for circular and inclusive urban procurement.
The project aligns with the principles of the New European Bauhaus and delivers both scientific and societal added value by building knowledge about climate-adaptive and circular street furniture that contributes to social cohesion in urban neighborhoods. The impact is at various levels: an increased quality of life for residents, strengthening local circular economies, and policy-relevant insights for urban design and management practices in Flanders.