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Human and Non-Human Actors in Kuwait’s Al-Shaheed Park
Abstract by Miss. Weaam Alabdullah On Session VI-19  (Urban Natures)

On Friday, December 2 at 4:00 pm

2022 Annual Meeting

Abstract
Recent interest in landscape education at Kuwait University and mega-million-dollar landscape projects imply an interest in initiating and developing a solid foundation for a future for landscape architecture. This interest is best reflected in the landscape politics found in the everyday practices of cleaning, managing, maintaining, securing, using, and traveling to Kuwait City’s Al-Shaheed Park. This ethnographic project explores how the park and definition of the “public” it serves are created through everyday practices as enacted by multiple actors. These include officials, visitors, management employees, security guards, cleaners, and designers, each defining and understanding the park differently. Simultaneously, many other actors are non-human, like the green lawns, red running pathway, olive trees, birds, water pipes, gates, signs, and more. Through analyzing these different human and non-human actors and their relationships, I explore what a public park is in Kuwait, and most importantly how people understand the term “nature” through this particular constructed urban nature. I am inserting myself into existing discussions within landscape architecture where scholars push for the inclusion of non-humans, showcasing an interest in moving towards the expansion of ‘the public’ to ‘publics.’ Located on the historic Greenbelt which separates Kuwait City from the suburbs, Al-Shaheed Park is a unique non-governmentally managed landscape that stands out in many ways. It becomes emblematic of existing politics, problems, and potential change. While many participants speak of Al-Shaheed Park as a space of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city, the majority understand it as bizarrely clean, well-managed, safe, green, lush, foreign, and civilized. For this presentation, I unpack color and materiality. People compare the park’s “green” vegetation and vibrant and well-maintained materials to the “beige” context, while pointing at the rugged asphalt roads, the broken-paved sidewalks, the non-lush streetscaping, and more. Non-human actors like the sumptuous green lawns and meandering pathways symbolize a more civilized and European-like “nature”. Shrubs, trees, and green roofs, through rigorous maintenance efforts, symbolize institutional care. A certain urban imaginary arises, one embedded with greenness, Europeanness, and perceptions of progress. Simultaneously, Kuwait is unquestionably one of the hottest countries in the world and this alarming fact alone signals an urgent need to critically analyze the infatuation with “green” at a time of significant climate change. I ask, is green the color we should be focusing on, or beige?
Discipline
Architecture & Urban Planning
Geographic Area
Kuwait
Sub Area
Gulf Studies