Soil Paraphernalia

Urbanization harms soil

Soil stores more carbon worldwide than is contained in all plant biomass above ground. Healthy soil prevents erosion and mitigates drought and flood due to its ability to absorb and store high quantities of water. Only recently has it become understood that soil requires continued care, urban soils included. But soil ecosystems, like so many other ecosystems, are under increasing stress from anthropogenic activity. Globally, over a third of Earth's soil is degraded due to industrialization and modernization processes, particularly through ongoing urbanization. Recognizing soil's significance requires a paradigm shift in urban spatial planning and design. A soil-positive form of urbanization, what some have called a ‘multispecies urbanism,’ would not only lead to healthier soil (communities), but would also assist efforts to reduce emissions, improve the resilience of cities to climate change and adaptation, help restore biodiversity and provide much more open green space for our species and others alike. Our project explores a corner of the soil care subculture currently ongoing in Amsterdam.