In this first episode, Léone revisits the genesis of her research topic and traces the evolution of her methodology. She adopts a “material semiotics” approach, focused on how biodiversity tools translate and make ecological knowledge perceptible. These tools are analyzed as “cosmograms,” according to John Tresch’s concept: objects designed to summarize the order of the world by materially organizing the relationships between humans and non-humans. But an examination of the diversity of these tools quickly reveals the difficulty in producing shared representations of biodiversity. This heterogeneity opens an investigation into the often implicit ways in which these tools shape our thinking and conceptions of the multi-species city.
Working with diversity: Operators sensitive to non-human life in urban and architectural projects
In this series of four podcasts, we invite you to delve into the work of Léone, a researcher at the agency, who recently defended her CIFRE PhD thesis in Science and Technology Studies, supervised by Jérôme Denis at the Centre for the Sociology of Innovation (École des Mines, Université PSL). Her research examines the tools developed since the 2010s to integrate biodiversity into urban and architectural projects. Indicators, labels, models: these instruments translate ecological knowledge and guide how we design cities. Through field observations, reflective analysis, and sound experimentation, the thesis explores how these tools shape our relationship with living things and contribute to building multi-species urban worlds.
This diversity reveals the capacity of biodiversity to fulfill varied ambitions, depending on whether the tools prioritize the faithful translation of scientific ecology or the enhancement of uses and landscapes within projects.
A series presented by Léone-Alix Mazaud and Jasmine Léonardon. Editing: Théa Lingrand.
