[Last modified: October, 16 2024 01:14 PM]
Vingette on Research topic: Urban ‘Nature’ in the Noisy City of London. A Phenomenological Account of London Parks.
This one time I went to the park Gordon square, in the hearth of London, as the wheater was not bad – it was definitely not good either. But Londoners won’t shy away from the gloomy greyness that continously threatens them. As they are very used to the uncertainty of getting soaked at every moment possible they were in large numbers present in the park.
As most people were standing in line for a coffee, chatting about this and that, others were occupying the benches neatly orderded at the side lines of the little square. I approach one woman who just got a hot beverage and sat down on one of the benches. Before I arrived she tried to shuffle her coat well between her bottom and the bench. But at one point she sighted, sat comftably while still looking a bit annoyed. I asked her if she visits the park often and what she liked most about it. And she looks at me, as if I had just asked her an obvious question, responding at last; ‘it’s not about the park, nor about the greenery, it’s about the quitness, you know, London is afwully loud, you see. Although it is not comftable, look, the bench is all wet… I still come here because it is the only place close, that I don’t have to endure the noise of the city as much as usual.’
I think it is interesting how for many people nature is about quitness, more than anything. Which explains why people spend lots of time in the park not engaging with it at all. We spend our time in the park on our phones, reading the newspaper, talking to friends. In short, all types of different activities, which have in common the fact that we very rarely mindfull engaging with nature.