Rethinking the design of Sudbury's urban interstices: fostering bee ecological coexistence

Abstract

This research addresses the decline of diverse bee species in Sudbury, Ontario, through a network of urban interventions. The first bees evolved from wasps, appearing about 130 million years ago, but today, they are threatened with endangerment. Infrastructure expansion has led to the diminishment of urban bee habitats in areas where bees thrive the most. The seasonal cycles are extreme and inconsistent, affecting when bees pollinate and where they nest. If people rely on bees to nurture the physical environment, they need to be advocated for. Beekeepers are isolated in the north, making it less likely for traditional beekeeping practices to be passed to the next generation. This presents an opportunity to develop educational initiatives that help connect students to pollinator conservation and the preservation of beekeeping knowledge. Urbanization has reduced pollinator habitats in cities all over the world. Sudbury has a variety of urban interstitial spaces that have the potential to be regenerated with ecological life. To understand how this regeneration can occur on multiple levels. I studied the theoretical frameworks of Ecological Urbanism and Environmental Stewardship. Together, these framworks establish a foundation for rethinking Sudbury’s urban interstices with ecological life using stewardship among the community. This thesis proposal rethinks urbanism in Sudbury as a potential network for bee research and education. Native bees are primary pollinators in our ecosystems, they need to be priortized. Honeybees are valuable for honey production that can impact the local economy. By establishing a northern network that supports both, more native bee habitats can be restored and local honey production can be strengthened.