Recycling our view on wastelands

Source abstract

A wasteland is a category of urban open space widely recognised as a resource. An apparently abandoned piece of land corresponds primarily to a space for discovery. Even if this is evident, a wasteland is generally considered from a mono-functional perspective. Research on the subject of wasteland is generally oriented towards the application of a single analysis, and this could lead to limitations of vision that are examined by this contribution. This paper reflects on how to fill this gap, taking ‘En Ster’ wasteland in Liège as a laboratory. It assumes that a wasteland contains more than one meaning that may support a planning and design process, and by activating a dialogue between different landscape analyses on the same wasteland reveals multiple meanings. Rethinking a wasteland beyond its boundaries could support protecting and valorising the ecological and social dimensions of the city.