Feral Zones in Urban Landscapes

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Date/Time:Wednesday, 22 Feb 2006 at 4:00 pm
Location:Oak Room, Memorial Union
Cost:Free
Contact:
Phone:515-294-9934
Channel:Lecture Series
Categories:Lectures
Actions:Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder
Panel: David Zimmerman (moderator), ISU Dept. of English; Mira Engler, ISU Dept. of Landscape Architecture; James Pease, ISU Dept. of Natural Resource Ecology & Management. This panel will explore the notion of wildness in the urban landscape: what it is, what it means, and what it is becoming. Part of the Second Annual Symposium on Wildness & Wilderness.

In every instance, the downfall of human civilizations have begun with the decay of its cities and led to the decay of its minds. Weeds in the gutters are fed by blood in the streets. In time, the neighbor's dog joins a pack, and the city night is filled with howling.
--J. K. Russell

When sections of the urban landscape are neglected and allowed to decay, wildness begins to creep in. In these spaces, human behavior that would not be tolerated in the more ordered areas of our communities flourishes-criminal activities multiply, drug use rises, prostitution is practiced openly, and bohemians and artists move in. A non-human wildness also appears. Abandoned lots become groves and meadows. Falcons nest on rooftops. Coyotes prowl alleys for house pets, and house pets like parrots and dogs become feral and move about the streets in groups.