Myth of Modern Sanitation and Uncaring Universal Access. Dr Youcao Ren

by Dr Youcao Ren, School of Architecture

Myth of Modern Sanitation and Uncaring Universal Access

The project aims to enhance our understanding of the complex human-environment interactions in sanitation systems and their sustainability outcomes in the rapidly transitioning China. It challenges two myths of modern sanitation infrasystem to advocate context-appropriate sanitation solutions: 

‘On the grid’

Despite the availability of a multitude of sanitation systems that can offer environmental co-benefits, sanitation planners tend to prioritise some sanitation solutions over others (Luh et al., 2017). Water-borne networked sanitation is pushed in many dense urban settlements, although other sanitation options could be considered more sustainable and appropriate (Spuhler et al., 2020).

Durability 

Sanitation and water infrasystems are often understood to operate ‘in the background’. The notion of seeing infrastructure as ‘durable’ prevents us from seeing the labour that makes infrastructure functional (Alda-Vidal et al., 2023). It downplays the necessity of alternative sanitation infrasystems (Ren et al., 2022).

methods used to think through ‘care'

A series of methods were used to develop a situated, inclusive and caring approach:

• site ethnography to understand the components of (and their interaction within) different types of sanitation systems as well as how sanitation systems interact with other social, technical and environmental systems

• focus group and interviews to reveal the interactions between different sanitation systems and the Sustainable Development Agenda, SDGs and their targets

• co-developing workshops with stakeholders models and tools that support informed sanitation planning decision-making to understand the components of (and their interaction within) different types of sanitation systems as well as how sanitation systems interact with other social, technical and environmental systems

entanglements of justice in care and design

China’a grand sanitation transition is underway – but as it is now, it is polluting water and ignoring the urban poor. The universal approach to networked sanitation infrasystems is developed without paying attention to local needs and circumstances. In this instance, modern and universal solutions to sanitation pose an uncaring approach. In future steps, the research aims to:

• Support the redesign and maintenance of sanitation systems in dense, low-income urban areas 

• Facilitate sanitation initiatives in rural areas

• To engage with stakeholders and diversify participation    

• To build interdisciplinary capacity in sanitation planning, design, and maintenance

references:

• Alda-Vidal, C., Lawhon, M., Iossifova, D. and Browne, A.L., (2023). Living with fragile infrastructure: The gendered labour of preventing, responding to and being impacted by sanitation failures. Geoforum, 141, p.103724.

• Luh, J., Royster, S., Sebastian, D., Ojomo, E. and Bartram, J., (2017). Expert assessment of the resilience of drinking water and sanitation systems to climate-related hazards. Science of the Total Environment, 592, pp.334-344.

• Spuhler, D., Germann, V., Kassa, K., Ketema, A.A., Sherpa, A.M., Sherpa, M.G., Maurer, M., Lüthi, C. and Langergraber, G., (2020). Developing sanitation planning options: A tool for systematic consideration of novel technologies and systems. Journal of environmental management, 271, p.111004.

• Ren, Y., Iossifova, D. and Gasparatos, A., (2022). One size does not fit all: Sanitation solutions in Shanghai’s older and under-serviced inner-city neighbourhoods. In Urban Infrastructuring: reconfigurations, transformations and sustainability in the Global South (pp. 185-204). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

Member of the public weaving with stems and flowers from the meadow

(Photo: Catherine Higham)

Elisa Olivares (PI) + Simone Farris (RA) + Catherin Highman (Artist)

project summary

The project explored how curated landscapes can encourage public care for biodiversity. In collaboration with partner The Green Estate, the team conducted a comparative study on native and non-native plant mixes and their effectiveness in attracting pollinators on pre-grown turf meadow mats.

To involve the local community, the pre-grown turf meadow mats were installed in various green spaces across socially disadvantaged areas in Sheffield. Citizen science sessions and community art activities were then facilitated to further engage participants in the discussion.

methods used to think through ‘care'

Pre-grown turf meadow mats were used to establish the meadows rapidly due to the project's short timeline. Once established, two-hour workshops were conducted in four parks across Sheffield, combining pollinator surveying with community art.

The pollinator surveys followed the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme’s 1m² quadrat method and included open discussions about local pollinators.

The community art sessions featured drawing, cyanotype photography, watercolour painting, and weaving, all inspired by or incorporating meadow vegetation. During these sessions, participants engaged in discussions about biodiversity.

Two public exhibitions were organized to showcase the project—one at the Turret in Manor Lodge and another at the Winter Garden in Sheffield City Centre, where visitors shared their thoughts on biodiversity care in both oral and written form.

entanglements of justice in care and design

To stop the loss of biodiversity, there is a need to develop a higher attitude of care. Nevertheless, more than half of the population of the planet lives in urban areas, and the only nature they encounter in their lives is in urban green spaces. Urban green spaces host a mix of native and non-native plant species that provide shelter, food, and resources for wildlife while engaging the public with their beauty. However, the current biodiversity net gain policy in the UK does not assign a high value to habitat types that include non-native species in its metric. This can be problematic for urban areas that have undergone significant changes due to urbanization, such as high levels of disturbance, air and soil contamination, and the heat island effect, among others. Several non-native species are well-equipped to cope with these conditions and may also have extended flowering periods, offering food to pollinators that are staying dormant later due to climate change.

Given this context, it is essential to gather evidence on how non-native species contribute to local wildlife resources, and to expand the understanding that caring for biodiversity includes caring for both native and non-native species.

references:

• Joan Iverson Nassauer, Care and stewardship: From home to planet. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 100, Issue 4 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.02.022

• Stephanie G Schuttler, Amanda E Sorensen, Rebecca C Jordan, Caren Cooper, Assaf Shwartz, Bridging the nature gap: can citizen science reverse the extinction of experience?.First published: 03 July 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1826