Umwelt-based Analysis of Multispecies Places: Guidelines for Application

In this article we introduce the method of umwelt-based place analysis for urban and nature–culture communities as a semiotic tool for the analysis of place. The article first introduces a toolbox of umwelt-related concepts developed in eco- and biosemiotic research. A step-by-step outline of the umwelt-based place analysis is then provided and subsequently illustrated through a case study conducted in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It involves the basic characterisation of a place, a selection of key species, the analysis of the umwelten of the key species, as well as the relationships between human and other species’ umwelten and the analysis of the major consortia of the place. The method enables the identification of key contact and conflict points between humans and other-than-humans and facilitates an understanding of how physical affordances as well as social-cultural norms and regulations shape multispecies communities. It further grounds the formulation of design-oriented suggestions aimed at supporting species-rich communities in anthropogenic environments.