Abstract Summary
Natural systems are one of the most important elements that form the framework of the city, yet the last to be considered when designing public spaces. Amid global warming, the ever-intimate and highly complex relationship between green infrastructure and humans is gaining importance. Trees, which form most of the urban green infrastructure, are crucial to cities as they provide a response to the growing need for acute cooling in public spaces. In addition to their physical value, trees have emotional and spiritual meaning to humans as well. Our study explores the multidimensional relationship between humans and trees through the case of T-Roffa Lab: a mobile forest of 36 trees on wheels located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At T-Roffa Lab, citizens are invited to move the trees around and play with the configuration of the urban forest according to their own needs. The forest introduces a new social relationship of co-care between trees and citizens. While trees care for the spatial and physiological needs of the citizens, citizens care for the trees by watering them and monitoring their health. In this study, we take a closer look into the dynamics of this mutually dependent micro-level ecosystem through a social network analysis. By studying the co-existential relationship patterns of humans and mobile trees, we shed light on the dynamics of this emerging social network, where natural elements are more than agents or quasi-objects and are considered as equal parts of the whole. When designing for complexity, understanding the relationships between the actors is essential. These relationships give clues on why current dynamics exist, how they operate and where the points of leverage lay that pose implications on both design and policy making processes. However, in conventional network studies “actors” are typically limited to nodes with an independent decision-making mechanism such as humans. This study on T-Roffa Lab provides an excellent opportunity to challenge our perspective on the human/non-human relationships, while giving body to their interdependence in urban contexts. Finally, the study presents a novel approach to social network analysis where shifting actor/actant roles, multiplex relationships and their mutuality are mapped and explored in a longitudinal manner.
