Urban Green Space Rejuvenation – The Use of Regenerative Landscape Design ThroughBiophilia to Connect Humans back to Nature.

Abstract

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction, stated American biologist and author” E. O. Wilson. The natural world has been altered over the past years, resulting in a disruption between the human - nature connection. This connection that was evident during the prehistoric eras when nature and humans were interdependent seems to have dwindled over the ages due to our own activities such as urbanization, deforestation, among others. Frank Lloyd Wright stated “Study nature, love nature, and stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” Nature has and continuously offers us everything. Right from the way termites build their houses to how leaves use up water for photosynthesis-; natural orders happen around us every day. What can we learn from nature in solving design problems that engage how we live and where we live? The necessity to establish sustainability principles and practices has developed over the past years and measures are being made to make our designs more sustainable. Considering the principles of sustainability in design to connect natural processes to building technologies and habitability, this paper aims to use regenerative landscape design through biophilia to rekindle the connection humans had with nature. This is aimed at achieving environmental, social/cultural and economic sustainability. Through Literature done on regenerative landscape design and biophilia, including The Regenesis Group’s works, Regenerative Development and Design a Framework for Evolving Sustainability as well as The Biophilia Hypothesis written by E.O Wilson and Professor Stephen Kellert, Case studies of The Ghana Permaculture Institute and The Paley Park, and lastly interviews of the general public conducted to understand how regenerative landscape design and biophilia are understood and what their preferences as far as nature experience goes, would be, a consensus was reached. The analysis of the literature, responses from the general public and the information gathered from the case studies generated into an urban park that not only bridges the gap between humans and nature but also encourages bio diversity for an improved ecosystem, highlights some parts of the Ashanti culture and promotes communal interactions.