SLOW Clean-UP civic experiments

Project description

SLOW Clean-UP civic experiments is an ongoing project providing an alternative to the ‘dig and dump’ approach to brownfield or derelict land remediation. SLOW Clean-UP is designed to restore sites previously occupied by petrol stations – a widespread feature of the urban environment – transforming them into green space that can benefit local residents.

This project is taking place in Chicago and is led by the artist Frances Whitehead working in collaboration with scientists and communities. Whitehead employed her training and skills as an artist to explore cultural and environmental concerns using an alternative, creative perspective.

In particular she used the idea of slow processes being a good thing, derived from the principles of the Slow Food Movement, to tackle polluted sites. The primary research site is the Cottage Grove Heights Laboratory Garden in south Chicago. Selection criteria for this site included its adjacency to Chicago State University, the existence of native silty clay soils on site and the regulatory status of the site. The Cottage Grove Heights Community Coalition named the site the Cottage Grove Heights Laboratory Garden, naming their involvement in the project and community garden.

SLOW Clean-UP uses phytoremediation, the process of living plants enhancing soil clean up. Working with Dr. A.P. Schwab, Professor of Soil Science at Texas A&M University, Whitehead investigated which native ornamental plants had the capacity to remediate petroleum pollution. They assessed the feasibility of approximately 100 new, untested petroleum remediators and identified 12 new plants that are effective. Remarkably, very few plants had been tested previously.

The project also resulted in another innovation: Whitehead re-purposed a road building tool as a giant rototiller. This helped turn a heavy gravel layer into the existing site soils, combining with large amounts of compost, and thus keeping all contaminated soils out of landfill and available for on site clean-up. This new method came about through Whitehead’s creative, process-led problem solving which enabled the assessing of alternative options which may not have been previously considered.

SLOW Clean-UP values time to create significant change. Whitehead refers to her training as a sculptor which enables her to think differently about time as a ‘material’ to manipulate. The concept is based on the Slow Food Movement, encouraging growing and cooking local produce as an alternative to the fast food (industrialised, mechanised and undervalued labour) approach.

It is estimated that the process of permanent, sustainable remediation can take between three to five years. However, Whitehead describes alternative plans that would allow for quicker development of sites, which would disperse the toxins but likely be less permanent and require reseeding.

This pilot programme is an example for the potential remediation of over 400 similar sites across the City of Chicago. The project employs Jon Hawke’s four pillar model for sustainability addressing the environmental, economic, social and cultural sectors. Students of a variety of subjects including art, soil science, horticulture and engineering have participated in the project, reflecting these pillars.

In the Slow Clean-UP report (opens PDF), Whitehead and Schwab outline their plans to conduct further research into plant petroleum remediation. Other locations will be considered for a comparable study using woody and fruiting species.

Sustainability issues

SLOW Clean-UP civic experiments created multiple environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits.

• Remediation using plants means less material going to landfill.
• Creating The Lab Garden increases biodiversity and provides habitat for animals.
• It reduces heat islanding and delivers carbon sequestration.
• The Lab Garden creates civic research opportunities.
• The garden can be interpreted and understood by the public, raising environmental awareness and creating educational opportunities for communities and students from a range of fields.
• The garden is both functional and visually appealing, offering wellbeing benefits to local residents and improvements in air quality.

Lessons, tips and advice

Whitehead stresses through her project that meaningful and positive transformation, whether environmental, economic, social or cultural, requires significant time. There are detailed lessons learned and recommendations in the project report (opens PDF). Highlights include:

• Build firm partnerships and stewardship plans capable of surviving changes of personnel in key organisations.
• Landscape design for phytoremediation has different requirements (e.g. density of planting).
• Connect the phytoremediation site to other greenspaces and wildlife corridors.
• Engage local residents, involving them in the process so that they can feel ownership and are more likely to take advantage of the benefits.
• Use integrative and participatory assessment models and evaluation methods.
• Use voluntary labour and engagement from a range of interested groups (e.g. students), ensuring that they can benefit from projects through developing skills or gaining experience.

Partners and stakeholders

Slow Clean-UP civic experiments is a collaboration between:

• Frances Whitehead, founder of ARTetal Studio, an organisation focussed on collaboration, speculative design and embedding artists within municipalities.
• The City of Chicago Departments of Planning, Environment, Innovation & Technology, and Cultural Affairs.
• Chicago State University students conducted initial site soil analysis in 2010 and 2011 under the supervision of Dr. Karel Jacob.

Purdue University Soil Science students conducted all aspects of the phytoremediation plant lab trials under the supervision of Dr. AP Schwab.

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and faculty installed the sculptural elements of The Lab Garden.

Other organisations involved include:

• Cottage Grove Heights Community Coalition.
• Greencorp Chicago, Chicago’s community landscaping and job training program executed the majority of the site landscaping tasks.
• Prairie Moon Nursery, Minnesota.
• Possibility Place Nursery, Illinois.

Funding

SLOW Clean-UP civic engagement evolved from the Embedded Artist project , an experimental platform to increase local government’s ability to creatively address major systemic issues by embedding practicing artists in city workgroups.
Through this evolution, there was a sequence of funding, starting with grants for innovation and leading to national award for remediation.

From 2008 to 2010, the project was funded by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where Whitehead is a Professor of Sculpture and Architecture.

From 2010 to 2012, the project was funded by the Chicago Department of Environment ComEd Grant Fund ‘City Modelling Grant’.

Relevant links

• Imagining an Ecological Future in a Post-Industrial City (opens Vimeo) (6 minutes).
• Civic Experiments: Tactics for Praxis, published by Forty-Five: A Journal of Outside Research.
• Minga-Gardening: A Creative Pedagogy for Learning with Soil and Art, published by La Escuela.
• When it comes to climate change, this artist lets the trees do the talking, published by Grist.