Abstract
This paper examines how design can foster multispecies cohabitation in urban environments by supporting wild pollinators, specifically solitary wild bees. Grounded in theories of more-than-human design and multispecies care, the project challenges conventional human-centric urban planning by integrating ecological insights into practical interventions. Using a Research-through-Design approach, the project “Pollino” was developed as an experimental urban intervention that incorporates pollinator-friendly nesting habitats into public infrastructure. The interdisciplinary project draws on stakeholder interviews with ecologists, urban planners, and municipal decision-makers, along with a one-year pilot study deploying twelve prototypes in diverse urban settings and monitoring their impact on urban biodiversity and public engagement. Preliminary findings reveal that habitat quality influences pollinator activity and indicate that Pollino improves urban habitat connectivity. This work contributes to a reimagined urban design paradigm by bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and lived urban experience, promoting multispecies cohabitation in our rapidly evolving cities.
Keywords
Multispecies cohabitation, Pollinator Conservation, Research-through-Design, More-than-human, Placemaking, Urban Biodiversity, Multifunctional Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.46
Citation
Butter, K.(2025) Pollino: A research-through-design approach to pollinator conservation, in Brandt, E., Markussen, T., Berglund, E., Julier, G., Linde, P. (eds.), Nordes 2025: Relational Design, 6-8 August, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.46
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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Pollino: A research-through-design approach to pollinator conservation
This paper examines how design can foster multispecies cohabitation in urban environments by supporting wild pollinators, specifically solitary wild bees. Grounded in theories of more-than-human design and multispecies care, the project challenges conventional human-centric urban planning by integrating ecological insights into practical interventions. Using a Research-through-Design approach, the project “Pollino” was developed as an experimental urban intervention that incorporates pollinator-friendly nesting habitats into public infrastructure. The interdisciplinary project draws on stakeholder interviews with ecologists, urban planners, and municipal decision-makers, along with a one-year pilot study deploying twelve prototypes in diverse urban settings and monitoring their impact on urban biodiversity and public engagement. Preliminary findings reveal that habitat quality influences pollinator activity and indicate that Pollino improves urban habitat connectivity. This work contributes to a reimagined urban design paradigm by bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and lived urban experience, promoting multispecies cohabitation in our rapidly evolving cities.