Entre contrôle et spontanéité
This article examines the role of spontaneous vegetation in urban environments through the case study of Geum urbanum (wood avens), employing an interdisciplinary framework that bridges urban ecology, environmental philosophy, and urban planning. It begins by critically analyzing the polysemous expr...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Laboratoire Éco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Revue d'ethnoécologie |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/11935 |
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| Summary: | This article examines the role of spontaneous vegetation in urban environments through the case study of Geum urbanum (wood avens), employing an interdisciplinary framework that bridges urban ecology, environmental philosophy, and urban planning. It begins by critically analyzing the polysemous expression “nature in the cite”, drawing from sociological and philosophical perspectives to reveal an underlying tension between human-led urban design and spontaneous plant dynamics. In the context of Paris, current greening policies are framed as responses to climate change and biodiversity loss; however, they remain rooted in paradigms of control over non-human life. Despite the ecological functions provided by spontaneous flora, these species continue to be perceived and managed as undesirable “weeds”, reflecting persistent historical legacies of hygienism, aesthetic norms, and rationalized planning. The case of G. urbanum, simultaneously institutionally valorized and practically marginalized, illustrates this ambivalence. The discussion identifies three key philosophical issues: questioning the entrenched city/nature dualism, recognizing the value of spontaneous vegetal agency (nature-as-otherness), and advancing an ethics of ordinary nature. Ultimately, the article argues for an urban planning paradigm that accommodates ecological timeframes and fosters the presence of spontaneous vegetation by loosening spatial and managerial constraints in urban environments. |
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| ISSN: | 2267-2419 |