Back to the Future The narrative of “natural” wilderness Paolo Gurisatti Venice, February 27th, 2012 

Designing National Parks 2  Narrative – Nature is following a “natural” pattern of evolution. Animals and plants grow better, and self-regulate, if human beings do not interfere  Policy – Let the forest go “naturally” and re-introduce “natural” species (i.e. already existing boars coming from Hungary) 

Emergence 3  Forest is producing CO2 and create problems to ground and water facilities  Traditional competences disappear  New breeds appear (i.e. imported boars mix up with local domestic pigs and create a new generation of “monsters”) 

What is this? 4 

Agents and power to achieve 5  WWF, FAI, Italia Nostra and other “urban” associations (Civil Society 1) have the power to design and rule Natural Parks  They act for the “preservation” of “true” wilderness, and existing species (as “natural” artefacts), in a sort of “creationist frame” 

Designing Green Communities 6  Narrative – Landscape needs to be cultivated. Animals and plants grow better if “competent” human beings design and monitor their biological evolution (interfere)  Policy – In the age of “genome” a new wilderness can be “designed”, in order to tackle nowadays risks of existing species 

Exaptive bootstrapping 7  Forest has to absorb CO2 and contribute to hydro-geological improvement  New competences “emerge” by integrating traditional and new knowledge  New breeds appear, but a powerful feed back system controls undesired effects 

Agents and power to achieve 8  Local mountain associations (Civil Society 2) have the power to design and rule Green Communities (constituency)  The production of a local “sustainable wilderness” (as “emerging” artefact), is the result of a complex interaction between a national network and a set of local GC 

New emerging artefacts and narratives 9 Urban Nature 

Civil Society mobilisation …and feed back 10  Key issues for GC action: a) Narratives development b) Empowerment (power to achieve) c) Action and feed back d) New agent/artefact spaces e) Controversy (identity and voice) f) Organisation (challenging establishment)