This book offers original theoretical and empirical insight into the
social, cultural and ecological politics of rapidly changing urban
spaces such as old factories, rail yards, verges, dumps and quarries.
These environments are often disregarded once their industrial functions
wane, a trend that cities are experiencing through the advance of late
capitalism.
From a sustainability perspective, there are important lessons to learn
about the potential prospects and perils of these disused sites. The
combination of shelter, standing water and infrequent human visitation
renders such spaces ecologically vibrant, despite residual toxicity and
other environmentally undesirable conditions. They are also spaces of
social refuge. Three case studies in Milwaukee, Paris and Toronto anchor
the book, each of which offers unique analytical insight into the forms,
functions and experiences of post-industrial urban greenspaces. Through
this research, this book challenges the dominant instinct in Western
urban planning to "rediscover" and redevelop these spaces for economic
growth rather than ecological resilience and social justice.
This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of Urban
Planning, Ecological Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Geography,
Environmental Planning, Restoration Ecology, and Aesthetics.