Rethinking the waste of planetary urbanization for urban challenges: Potential, Strategies and Governance in Terrain Vague projects

Abstract

Planetary Urbanisation puts pressure on undeveloped spaces in cities. Although perceived as wastelands, such spaces are of unacknowledged socioenvironmental value. Conceptualised as Terrain Vague, they have potential to address social and ecological urban challenges. This paper demonstrates how the Terrain Vague can be activated through alternative repurposing strategies and governance. We present three case studies indicative of diverse strategies adopted from different European contexts: Porto Healthy Corridor, a nature-based solution part of URBINAT research project; R-Urban (2013-2017), a community garden in Colombes, near Paris, managed as Urban Commons; Cody Dock, a community-led regeneration and river revitalisation project in London. The analysis shows how rethinking the waste of planetary urbanization can support the circular economy, biodiversity, urban ecology, community development and climate sustainability. Keywords: wastelands, strategies of repurposing, socioenvironmental value, urban commons, urban ecology