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Session 8: Art, technology, design, and climate crisis, “International Conference: Climate Change, Sustainability and Socio-ecological Practices” Bizkaia Aretoa Venue, University of the Basque Country Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, June 6-7, 2024

Courtyard Planting: Sustainable Design for Both of Material and Unmaterial Space

Huidi Ma¹, Huan Ni², Fanfan Li ，Chinese National Academy of Arts¹, Chinese Environmental Protection Organization² ?Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Abstract

As a heritage of farming civilization, courtyard planting still affects our living space and ecological environment, and is an important object in the images of urban material and immaterial way.

From the perspective of material way, courtyard planting itself has become an important object of artistic design for families, communities, and urban public spaces, including horticulture, agricultural markets, supermarkets, balconies, office areas, parent-child gardens, school etc. Carrying out the hustle and bustle of urban blocks and creating new spaces for artistic imagination as well.?

From the perspective of immaterial way, people maintain friendly relationships between heaven and humanity through planting behavior, in order to cultivating our belief in "enjoying life together with nature"; relieving the depress of people in the living the cement forest; promoting people's pursuit of spiritual freedom and aesthetic life.

In recent years, with the rapid development of urbanization, especially since the pandemic, courtyard planting has been favored by more people. It has become a common phenomenon for families and neighborhoods to plant vegetables and fruits, which has driven the attention of artists and urban designers in this field. The re-planning of urbans is incorporating more and more artistic elements into public spaces. On the one hand, it injects more vitality and color into life, and on the other hand, different groups have a common social practice image.?

Courtyard planting, as a micro system in cities has gone far beyond the definition of a physical space. Instead, it accommodates a series of aesthetic methods and diverse imaginations，such as, cultural history, social habits, community solidarity, and emotional belonging in cities and daily life. As a result, various types of spatial design models have emerged, such as pocket parks, farmers' markets, balcony gardening, community farms, and natural education are all important components of sustainable topics. Regardless of the motivations behind them, they all attempt to create a space production work that combines both beauty of nature and spiritual by planting behavior.

There are also some new challenges we are facing, for example, the homogeneity and vulgarity of urban public art design, the destruction of urban space (especially ancient cities) layout and style in the expansion of high-rise buildings, disputes over land use conflicts caused by the independent planting of courtyards, and the governments eagerness for quick success and instant benefits, and others.

This article starts with sociological empirical surveys and adopt interdisciplinary studies methods to focus on the history and value of courtyard planting, and its contemporary significance in social mapping of different types of urban spaces, based on the disciplines of reuse, repurpose, recycling, and accelerated upward circulation, we aim to achieve sustainable design for both of material and immaterial space.

Keywords: courtyard planting, material and immaterial design,?? image space,? sustainable

1? Introduction

The text emphasizes the significance of courtyard planting as a legacy of farming civilizations, profoundly influencing our living spaces and ecological environments.

Courtyard planting has become a pivotal aspect of both material and immaterial urban spaces, fostering artistic design in various settings such as homes, communities, and public areas. It enhances urban life by blending art with nature, supporting mental well-being, and encouraging a connection with the natural world. The practice has gained popularity, particularly post-pandemic, leading to an increase in home and community gardens, which has caught the attention of artists and urban planners. These spaces serve not only as physical sites but also as arenas for cultural expression and social solidarity, evolving into diverse spatial design models like pocket parks and community farms. However, the expansion of such initiatives faces challenges like urban homogeneity and disputes over land use.

The text proposes a sustainable approach to both material and immaterial urban development through interdisciplinary methods and emphasizes the historical and contemporary relevance of courtyard planting in urban planning.

2? Courtyard Planting

China has a 5000-year history of agricultural civilization, and courtyard planting is one of the important legacies that still affects our survival and ecological spatial production as well a component of urban and rural material and immaterial spatial design in the context of sustainable development. It is not only a spatial container, but also a carrier of natural and cultural genetic in agricultural civilization, as well as a shelter for life and soul. This practice is tied to the attachment relationship between heaven and humanity, and through thousands of years of generational change, it remains the master of our living space and the earth.

The characteristics of courtyard planting firstly lie in its existence as a material space, closely related to nature, the earth, life, labor methods, and the fruits of labor. Although it is only a microcosm in society, it far exceeds the definition of physical space. Its spiritual attributes determine that it is a carrier of "natural genes" and "cultural genes," a refuge for life and spirit, accommodating and gathering a series of life and labor methods, life aesthetics, leisure behaviors, emotional attachments, and diverse imaginary spaces.

"The term of 'courtyard' (庭) and 'garden' (院) first appeared together in the book 'Biography of Tao Hongjing' in the Southern Dynasties period, which records: "He particularly enjoys the sound of pine winds, planting in every courtyard, and feels joyous when hearing their sound" (《南史》卷七十六《隱逸傳下·陶弘景傳》Tao Hongjing, (456—536ad) was a thinker and hermit during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang ). Ancient courtyards typically featured pavilions, terraces, and spaces for activities such as playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, representing a refined lifestyle cherished by literati and scholars. For ordinary people, the courtyard was their "self-sufficient land" in front or behind their homes, also referred to as a 'garden' or 'yard,' where they produced their own food, met their needs, appreciated the fruits of their labor, and found out enjoyment. It was the realm of material space production. 'Labor and nature are companions; nature provides materials for labor, and labor transforms various materials from nature into the food necessary for survival. This is the first condition of human life' (Marx). This 'natural gene' is indeed the primary condition of our existence. In that world, the ancients created the 'Twenty-Four Solar Terms' not only to guide agricultural activities and interpret the natural rhythms of heaven and earth but also as a guideline for people to enjoy life, rest, and follow the flow of nature, instilling a reverence for nature, seasons, and rules.

With the extension of courtyard planting, for the first time in history, societies had surplus products, and concepts of time and space changed. People began to meet leisurely lives, connecting with nature, all living things, and communities through activities, such as: games, feasts, dances, social gatherings, ceremonies, and festivals. This led to the production of new public spaces, transitioning from simple bartering to a fusion of marketplaces, fairs, gardening, cooking, estates, gardens, granaries, ancestral secret recipes/medicinal recipes, forming a blend of material and immaterial "cultural genes." These "dual genes" maintained the "heaven-human relationship," ensuring the naturalness, diversity, and safety of food and meeting diverse needs, enriching a life space where human nature and godhood coexist.

Figure 1. Zhang Zeduan (Northern Song Dynasty) Along the River during the Qingming Festival (fragment, 0,248m x 05287m). Palace Museum. Beijing.

In historical records, the best " courtyard planting " in ancient times belonged to Tao Yuanming of the Wei and Jin dynasties. His naturalistic poetry, such as "... the bound birds long for their old woods, the pond fish yearn for their old depths. Clearing the southern wilds, returning to cultivate the homestead fields. About ten mu of land, eight or nine grass-roofed houses. Elms and willows shade behind the eaves, peaches and plums line the hall...", established him as the pioneer of the ancient Chinese pastoral poetry, exerting a profound influence on later generations.

Courtyard planting reflects the universal values of "natural laws" and "morality " in the Tao Te Ching and its influence on the West. Western scholars praised Laozi as "a true philosopher, an insightful ethicist, a good theologian, and metaphysician." This represents a convincing spatial production rooted in Chinese cultural traditions and filled with aesthetic thoughts in daily life (Ma 2023).

Courtyard planting declined in modern times but is now linked to the national rural revitalization and urban-rural integration strategies. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the urbanization rate at the end of 2022 was 65.22%, with nine provinces including Shanghai and Beijing already exceeding 70% (National Bureau of Statistics of China 2023). However, there are still many historical legacy issues, such as: "Long-term large-scale rural labor migration to urban areas has led to trends of farmers to have to do various things, rural hollowing-out, and aging labor forces, resulting in significant structural shortages of rural labor. The current situation: elderly farmers lack of strength to farm, those born in the 1980s are unwilling to farm, those born in the 1990s lack knowledge of farming, and those born in the 2000s show no interest in farming. The question of 'who will plant the land' urgently needs to be addressed" (Liu 2024).

3? Urbanization and Courtyard Planting

The rapid development of urbanization has led to the rise of emerging cities on one side, and the encirclement of the "concrete jungle" on the other. The loss of pastoral space is distorting many people's perceptions. For example, some people believe that the grain and food we consume every day come from machine production, and erroneously separating grain and food sources from in the natural ecological environment, without interest in knowing where the food they rely on for survival comes from, thereby disconnecting human life from the natural world on the subjective or objective cognitive level" (Ma 2022).

Contemporary society have throwed away a plentiful and coherent historical experience, accompanied by common phenomena such as "natural deficiency syndrome", "cultural desert syndrome", and "design ideas homogeneity syndrome", which threaten people's physical, psychological, neural, spiritual, and behavioral systems, causing the whole society to fall into anxiety, involution, and struggle.

Since 2019 to now, Chinese scholars conducted two surveys on "food self-provisioning". In highly industrialized areas, due to the previous vigorous implementation of "village consolidation and relocation", many families lost the land for courtyard planting.

In Jiangsu Province, where "village consolidation and relocation" occurred earlier, around seventy percent of rural households no longer have courtyards by data showed. Although Chinese people have always had a "garden dream" in their mind, it is still difficult to preserve and continue the cultural tradition of courtyard planting in the context of land scarcity and public ownership, and allowing people to participate in a low-carbon and frugal lifestyle by "producing their own foods". However, people still use to various possibilities to design spaces that maintain contact with nature.

Figure 2. Huidi, M. (April 2024) Hutongs (alleyway) in Central Beijing.

Figure 3. Huidi, M. (April 2024) Hutongs (alleyway) in Central Beijing.

4? A few examples 

How can to own a planting garden in the concrete jungle? People have created various spatial design patterns, such as: pocket parks, community farms, parent-child eco-gardens, and fruit and vegetable picking gardens, to struggle conditions for people to reconnect with nature and the countryside.

In recent years, the rising trend of pocket parks driven by local governments refers to small-scale green activity spaces facing communities, with diverse shapes and recreational functions. Although small in size, they are more humane, convenient, and accessible. Community residents can also hold cultural performances, talent shows, and other public activities on regular days, achieving the goal of "seeing green within 300 meters, seeing gardens within 500 meters". It is reported that nearly 30,000 pocket parks have been constructed or renovated nationwide (China Urban Center 2022).

For those without courtyards, they are most cleverly utilizing planting boxes to cultivate vegetables and fruits. Especially for residents living on the ground floor, they use to the small barren land (vacant space) in front of their doors to plant various vegetables, fruits, or flowers, creating a cityscape worth stopping and admiring, and combine with pocket parks then they enhance each other's charm.

Community farms refer to citizens leasing land in the outskirts or countryside to plant various vegetables according to their own preferences. Some are motivated to obtain green food, while others use their weekends to connect with nature, laboring and observing the growth process of all things in the natural world, thereby cultivating their bodies and spirits.

Farmers' markets are also one of the paths for people to get close to nature. Hong Kong's famous Central Market (i.e., farmers' market) covers an area of about 12,000 square meters with a harmonious existence of antiquity and modernity, simplicity and luxury, amidst the bustling streets and towering buildings of Hong Kong's prime location, recording the cultural history, local customs, and lifestyle of Hong Kong for over a century. It also reflects people's adherence to principles of freedom, equality, fairness, justice, respect, and hard work.

Balcony gardening presents another scenic view, as people create new natural spaces in the concrete jungle. Balcony gardening is mostly done by office workers, serving as a comfort for mental fatigue, alleviating various pressures, and improving physical degradation caused by long hours of sitting in the office and made them achieve the effect of strengthening their bodies through planting.

"Beautiful Courtyard" is a project launched by the Nanjing Women's Federation to implement in the national strategy of rural revitalization. It aims to create a well-organized, clean and tidy rural courtyard with green trees and fresh flowers. Its purpose is to achieve functions such as rural tourism, sightseeing photography, parent-child interaction, enjoy leisure time, natural knowledge popularization, and other entertainment program, and to help villagers increase income and become rich in a comprehensive ecological environment. This social movement is currently being promoted nationwide.

Spatial production in various forms such as pocket parks, farmers' markets, balconies garden, citizen farms, and beautiful courtyards are important components of sustainable topics. Regardless of the motivation, their common goal is to create a space that combines natural beauty and spiritual beauty through to step into nature.

5? Conclusions

Courtyard planting is a comprehensive topic involving an intersection of knowledge in literature, history, philosophy, law, management, education, science, technology agriculture, medicine, and art. Its existence also proves that "contemporary society has shifted from the production of things in space to the production of space itself". This means that space is not only a container for production but also focuses on the interconnectedness of production relations, presenting different changes and processes, thereby providing a good place for philosophers, artists, and personalized architects to showcase their talents (Lefebvre 2021). Achieving a new spatial pattern that combines living space with imaginative space.

Courtyard planting is also one of the important intermediaries in the modern life world and cultural transformation, containing the power to transform from one mode to another in the production of new spaces. These experiences should attract high attention from decision-makers, managers, public service providers, and researchers. Such examples can help address various shortcomings in our country's understanding of courtyard planting, such as land use, urban layout, protection of ancient cities, management concepts, public services, and various misconceptions in artistic design. They can also help reverse the mentality of governments or participants seeking quick gains and stopping at the surface level.

Furthermore, courtyard planting can ensure self-sufficiency in food production within a certain range against the backdrop of climate change, the post-pandemic era, an uncertain future, and increasing risks of war. To pay more attention and discussion on this topic come over particularly realistic and urgent. Truly achieve sustainable design concepts for both of material and unmaterial space. Assist the public masses in participating in the harmony of soc-ecology through this practical behavior.

References

China Urban Center (2022) 'Nearly 30000 Pocket Parks have been Constructed and Renovated in China'. China Urban Center, Aug 24, Available at: https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_19594161.

Lefebvre, H. (2021) The Production of Space. Beijing: Beijing Commercial Press.

Liu, H. (2024) 'Who Will Farm the Land? The No. 1 Central Document Proposed a Good Solution to the Problem'. Baidu, Feb 15. Available at:

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1790941106370997838&wfr=spider&for=pc.

Ma, H. (2022) 'Ecological Ethics: From Speculative to Concrete Image'. News of People's Political Consultative Conference, Feb 7.

Ma, H. (2023) Leisure Farming: A Wild Flower since Ancient Times. Beijing: China Agricultural Publishing House.

National Bureau of Statistics of China (2023) Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China in 2022, Available at:

https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230228_1919011.html

《南史》卷七十六《隱逸傳下·陶弘景傳》,Tao Hongjing, (456—536 A.D) was a thinker and hermit during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang

Methodological Appendix

This article starts with sociological empirical surveys and adopt interdisciplinary studies methods to focus on the history and value of courtyard planting, and its contemporary significance in social mapping of different types of urban spaces, based on the disciplines of reuse, repurpose, recycling, and accelerated upward circulation, we aim to achieve sustainable design for both of material and immaterial space.

Biographical Notes

Huidi Ma

Prof. Huidi Ma is founder of the Center of China Leisure Studies and Distinguished fellow at the Leisure Studies Center of the Chinese National Academy of Arts，who was elected fellow of the World Leisure Academy in 2010. And published book, together with Er Liu, the entitled: Traditional Chinese Leisure Culture and Economic Development: A Conflict of Forces (Palgrave, 2017). Last year, Edited book together with Hongwu Sun, the entitled: Leisure Farming: A Wild Flower Since Ancient Time. (China Agricultural Publishing House,2023) Currently, she is collaborating with European scholars on soc-ecological practices to involve public participation into through the micro system of food self-provisioning.

Since 1987, Huidi Ma has been very active in Chinese academic and intellectual programs and projects.

Some of her contributions and projects are: Agriculture and Society (1987, organized by The Ministry

of Agriculture and the Chinese Association for Science and Technology); Chinese Communication

Development Strategy and Countermeasure (1987-1990); Program for the Forum for Science and

Culture (1987-1988); Chair of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology's first and second

Academic Annual Meeting of Young Scientists (1992 and 1995); researcher at the Theory of Town and

Township Enterprise (1993-1996); Organizer of the 50th Xiang Shan Meeting of the Chinese Academy

of Science (1995); Project "Science and Technology and China at the Turn of the Century, with five

years of support from the Science Society (1995-1996).

Huidi Ma is also the Journal Editor of the Journal Studies in Dialectics of Nature (in Chinese), which won the top prizes for three years in a row, awarded by the Chinese State Publishing Ministry.

In addition, she has edited and publish various texts in book and journals: Edited a series of books on the Study of Educational Theory, published by He Nan Educational Press, 1992; The Corpus of the Forum of Sciences and Culture. Chinese Association of Science and Technology, 1988; "Chinese Women and Leisure," delivered at the 8th Symposium of the International Association of Women in Philosophy (USA), 1998; "On a Theory of Leisure in the Field of Spiritual Culture," Qi Ju Learn Journal No. 2 (1998), and delivered at the 20th World Conference of Philosophy (USA), 1998; "On the Studies in Characteristics and Trends Abroad: Science Policy," Future and Development No. 6 (1997); "On Comparing the National Scientific Management 'Planning Model' with China, America, Japan, and South Korea," Studies in the Science of Science No. 1 (1997); "Leisure: Construct a Happy Home of Spirit for Human Beings," The Digest of Xinhua No. 12 (1996); "Discussion on Management of the Emotional Culture," Future and Development No. 4 (1996); "On the Future Trend of Chinese Philosophy," Studies in the Dialectics of Nature No. 12 (1996); "The 'Planning Model' of National Scientific Macro-Management," Journal of Dialectics of Nature No. 4 (1995); "Theoretical Thought on China's First Program for Science and Technology," Studies in Dialectics of Nature No. 6 (1996); "The Artistic Element in Management and Policy Decisions," Future and Development No. 5 (1990).

Email Address: mahuidi@china.com

Links of interest:

Website: http://www.818d.net/r

https://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/Ma.html

Huan Ni???

Dr. Huan Ni received her M. Phil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge from 2004

05 with UK Government’s Chevening Scholarship. She is also the Director of ESG Development Promotion Center of Shanghai Pudong New Energy Association. Helen has been a China Member of the CEC Committee of International Union of Conservation Network (IUCN). Helen has 18 years of experience in working with international projects and international organizations such as DFID, UNDP, IFC, FCO, UNEP and WWF. She has been invited as an expert in low carbon communities by Shanghai Municipal Government.

Huan Ni has proven expertise to formulate, manage and deliver thematic projects on sustainable development, microfinance, poverty alleviation, corporate social responsibility (CSR), public-private partnership, SME Development, green financing in China, environmental protection, ecosystem services and climate policies.

Huan Ni had been working on the PwC London-managed Sino-UK State Owned Enterprise Restructuring and Enterprise Development (SOERED) Programme funded by DFID from 2000-04 before she went to Cambridge University to pursue her Master Degree in Development Studies. Her work in this Sino-UK programme was mainly on building an enabling business environment for SME development and SME financing in Sichuan Province and in Liaoning Province while trying to mainstream CSR to local SMEs. Her M.Phil Degree Dissertation in the University of Cambridge was the study about the SME development in Western China versus to developed coastal areas and the rest of the world.

In 2016, she founded a native environmental NGO called Shanghai Green Light-Year Environmental Service Center promoting sustainable lifestyles in urban and rural communities in China. Her new experience enabled her to get to know many start-ups and environmental SMEs working in sustainability. Her NGO work has earned her the “Social Impact Award” under “2017 Study UK Alumni Award” by British Council.

Huan Ni’s home is called a mini environmental technology museum as she has installed Mainland China’s first CIGS thin film solar plant. She is the first home user of outdoor aquaponics system to grow vegetables, the vertical farm user to use her kitchen waste to make organic fertilizer to have zero emission of her wet rubbish. She also uses hybrid and EV two-mode car and use dripping irrigation system for her little farm. Her home has received more than 6000 visitors from around the world since 2015 and she has trained 21 kids as her “little volunteer explainers” from her own community.

Huan Ni is the founder and Leader of a Chinese environmental organization called Green Light-Year which advocates environmental initiatives from promoting green lifestyles in communities, schools, and businesses in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces, to practicing Education for

Sustainable Development (ESD) in Eastern China.

Links of interest:

http://green-lightyear.org/en/ms-huan-ni-helen

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/03/08/ni-huan

https://towardsthehumancity.org/initiative-43-green-light-year-shanghai-china/

https://www.unprme.org/sdg-integrations/green-light-year-partnership/

Dr.Fanfan Li， Research fellow at Jiangsu Province Academy of Agricultural Sciences，Member and designers of the "Beautiful Courtyard" project in Nanjing.

Notes

● Submitting our work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

● The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and publication of this article.

● The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and publication of this article.