By Liliana Usvat
Blog 152-365
Nature in the city is far more than trees and gardens, and weeds in sidewalk cracks and vacant lots. It is the air we breathe, the earth we stand on, the water we drink , and the organisms with which we share our habitat.
It is the consequence of a complex interaction between the multiple purposes and activities of human beings and other living creatures and of the natural processes that govern the transfer of energy, the movement of air, the erosion of the earth, and the hydrologic cycle.
The city is part of nature. The realization that nature is ubiquitous, a whole that embraces the city, has powerful implications for how the city is built and maintained, and for the health, safety, and welfare of every resident….
The city must be recognized as part of nature and designed accordingly. The city, suburbs, and surrounding countryside must be viewed as a single, evolving system within nature, as must every individual park and building within that larger whole.
Pleasure and meaning are basic human needs, and “the mental sense of connection with nature is a basic human satisfaction, the most profound aspect of sensibility
Nature in the city must be cultivated, like a garden, rather than ignored or subdued.
Ecological urbanism is critical to the future of the city and its design: it provides a framework for addressing challenges that threaten humanity, such as global warming, rising sea level, declining oil reserves, rising energy demands, and environmental justice, while fulfilling human needs for health, safety, and welfare, meaning and delight.
Blog 152-365
Nature in the city is far more than trees and gardens, and weeds in sidewalk cracks and vacant lots. It is the air we breathe, the earth we stand on, the water we drink , and the organisms with which we share our habitat.
It is the consequence of a complex interaction between the multiple purposes and activities of human beings and other living creatures and of the natural processes that govern the transfer of energy, the movement of air, the erosion of the earth, and the hydrologic cycle.
The city is part of nature. The realization that nature is ubiquitous, a whole that embraces the city, has powerful implications for how the city is built and maintained, and for the health, safety, and welfare of every resident….
The city must be recognized as part of nature and designed accordingly. The city, suburbs, and surrounding countryside must be viewed as a single, evolving system within nature, as must every individual park and building within that larger whole.
Ecological urbanism is a broad approach to urban design and planning; related to it are aspects of multiple interrelated movements:
- ecological design,
- environmental art
- landscape planning ,
- sustainable design and planning,
- green architecture ,
- green infrastructure ,
- green urbanism,
- landscape urbanism
- and industrial ecology .
Important concepts of ecological urbanism include: cities are part of the natural world; cities are habitats; cities are ecosystems; urban ecosystems are dynamic and interconnected; every city has a deep, enduring context; urban design is a tool of human adaptation. These fundamental propositions are the foundation from which to derive principles for an ecological approach to the design of cities.
In most cities, human activities interact with natural processes to create a typical urban climate, urban soils, urban hydrology, urban plant and animal communities, and characteristic flows of energy and materials. Recent research, however, has revealed exceptions to these generalizations, which were based on studies of places with a temperate or Mediterranean climate.
Arid cities, for example, are cooler than the surrounding deserts at some times of day due to irrigation.
Cities are places for living: for individuals and groups, for humans and other species. As habitats, they must provide settings for the biological and social needs of the organisms who dwell there: for growth, movement and exchange, communication, making and building, teaching and learning, work play and reflection.
Cities provide habitats for many nonhuman species from microbes to trees, from insects to fish, birds, and mammals. Some species are indigenous, others are typical urban species, some are central to human health and prosperity, a few are hostile .
Urban development tends to reduce biodiversity, with far-reaching adverse effects. Enhancing biodiversity is not just important for plants and animals have argued that the presence of urban wildlife is closely linked to human well-being.
Nature in the city must be cultivated, like a garden, rather than ignored or subdued.
Ecological urbanism is critical to the future of the city and its design: it provides a framework for addressing challenges that threaten humanity, such as global warming, rising sea level, declining oil reserves, rising energy demands, and environmental justice, while fulfilling human needs for health, safety, and welfare, meaning and delight.
