|un|settling salt marshes: speculations on legible vulnerability in a vanishing place

Abstract

Hegemonic urban landscapes are positioned as apolitical places of stability, wealth and culture for those who inhabit and embody them, obscuring the socio-spatial and ecological processes that have coalesced to give rise to them. As planetary systems change with the steady rise of global warming comes an opportunity to reevaluate these places through critical narratives that emphasize a radical relationality towards a more equitable future. Through critical social theory and speculative design thinking through the lens of landscape architecture a critical praxis can be developed towards those ends. By imagining counter-environments I work to leverage the discursive shared imaginary to build towards novel and expansive alternatives to the conventions that have literally paved the road to our contemporary conjuncture. Focused on my childhood home of Redwood Shores, California I use my insider knowledge and extensive experiences to build towards the critical speculations. What is shared should serve as an impetus for further discussion as the planet continues to change.