[P2P-F] biophilic citi

Tue Apr 19 05:48:42 CEST 2011

*This article first appeared as a guest post on Sustainable Cities
Collective by Amanda Rosenberg, 2010 ASLA advocacy and communications
intern. *

*Image credit: Timothy Beatley / Island Press*

*

Taking Nature to the City
*
In "Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and
Planning<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZR6eD1MuRu5pHMgGP4skE1w8CEzLRTT_o5mkyB3Ws6S-Vi3T80ha1wGGnYKrhrEZCGgsDQTFX5XPy9S57Kge3XWjZt0G01A2GB-QYvzHaL9EKAisKYdaIF-6kOfOS5K7Ipf0pUlicW4A9H1tn_x3jb3iNaru4oGAmhsRwZ2yn-ECcV35kC5XUVCkzyR6PvR0jLQDMVziDa7fztRDecFPd8HZRgObLxeT_JBxVaZKN5JyDwqJxdE8vj1ughU4P2t-vJX4dJEoJOvn212AzMgr0v>,"
Timothy Beatley<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZQi7hSvBpS074QSFned6GPstphfTBRrJndrinCOXDCg4wp5jNuhrBvb1_SUR80oO-ra2QkGzeApJFDFicEHybmQXTnxY4pSROLhh-SV1AkjgxutUzJ3wXx2s_AI6IbzE10xwasdd9SonCIFtsmpE21>,
Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of
Virginia, argues that planners and landscape architects must design cities
so people feel intimately connected with nature. Beatley hopes his book
will foster a dialogue about biophilic cities by first defining what these
are, offering a set of indicators for measuring biophilic interactions, then
imagining how these look at various scales, and finally outlining
what institutions and organizations can do to build communities more in tune
with nature.

Beatley describes how
biophilia<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymYG0O5ujd6rIE_yHoUUwAEEYnFcQ0ITDui0BSkOKZL8uoV5uGkzam1aSInb3cu6Iv4X0Bp04xQtGGvW5uLnrtqnyev58G_QUf8AYz_7YiW4Do0-g1NcQC7Q7lSc9quYSrKUzjLem-P-1Q==>,
a term coined by famed sociobiologist and conservationist E. O.
Wilson<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZcdUdoHHmHNWzpbPcTIY6ypqDJGIYQoSkA2IYdiupLfUEOYMzVHmskgMCn86f2lQQJ0dpH7pqW1ui_Kbmn4LKTOWFYWnPZTqvA4k_igzKqB7i3NmrGbTVCIo8qwFABE_s=>,
can inform how we plan, design, and manage our cities. Beatley defines a
biophilic city as one that puts nature first. "It recognizes the essential
need for daily human contact with nature as well as the many environmental
and economic values provided by nature and natural systems."  He adds
that these cities are places where "residents spend time enjoying the
biological magic and wonder around them. In biophilic cities, residents care
about nature and work on its behalf locally and globally."

Throughout, there's a strong case for the psychological benefits of urban
nature. E. O. Wilson writes in the foreword: "The evidence is compelling
that frequent exposure to the natural world improves mental health, it
offers a deep sense of inner peace, and, in many ways we have only begun to
understand by scientific reason, it improves the quality of life."

Beyond improving humans' well-being though, fostering biophilia among
residents can also increase cities' resiliency to future changes.

Beatley compiles research and case studies that highlight the environmental,
economic, and quality-of-life payoffs of nature in the urban setting. He
breaks down several indicators of a biophilic city while acknowledging that
urban design and planning is concerned with various scales: regional,
community, neighborhood, street, block, and building. "The best biophilic
cities are places where these different scales overlap and reinforce
biophilic behaviors and lifestyles. Ideally, in a biophilic city these
scales work together to deliver a nested nature that is more than the sum of
its parts."

He explores a number of indicators for determining how well a city
creates biophilic connections:

*Conditions and Infrastructure*

Beatley covers the growing body of biophilic architecture (see earlier
post<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZO_N3LTg_X2w5ZfB1-izRsDU5mrmElBN1xyb6HJmhir1mFcP-xFyJ1YCMW2xaut3k6vpOTJzPin8DzPHWtpOk3fM0p_RMcQPDrPk_ua9aKPQ6W_Cq0HKe0TCv6sEvJdNJXB7utPiX69wBOqYxLceex6W7o960vaPC2Clq9Kf4DiZ_FKPxBQGu2hccFLWyS8EU=>)
and then inspires to translate them to the broad scale. He also argues for
improved accessibility to green spaces. At the broad scale, he asks
policymakers to consider how well they facilitate access to nature:

   - What percentage of the population is within 100 meters of a park or
   greenspace?
   - Per capita, how many miles of walking trails exist in the city's
   borders?

*Activities*

The residents and institutions of a biophilic city celebrate the unique
biodiversity of their place and actively enjoy and participate in the nature
around them. Beatley writes that cities can encourage us to connect with
nature through programs and offering volunteer opportunities. Some questions
for the cities trying to measure the biophilic connections created through
activities:

   - What is the percentage of time residents spend outside, understanding
   that climate must be accounted for?
   - What percentage of the population is active in nature or outdoor clubs
   or organizations?  How many of such organizations exist in the city?

*Attitudes and Knowledge*

The metabolism of a sustainable city relies on residents both knowing and
caring about its unique nature, natural history, and restoration
opportunities. Beatley points to Tadao Ando's "Sea Forest"
plan<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZVTnSYOcaJfo_IEMN4zfKydTqYj12VCCbLVxoPiG8lLvPwghJgcBd5dEzDYJdzGtKRbHoEVSaNbOqojv5axa4I-n_HbmDNEvXOj5ccXdmW1PjV1okOxxN2IAqOqOy77feafCPFqATsMw==>for
an 88-hectare parcel in the Tokyo Bay where trees will be planted on
landfill, educating all who visit about the benefits of nature. In this
area, there are some questions to evaluate how actively residents
participate in the natural city:

   - What percentage of the population can recognize common species of
   native flora and fauna?
   - To what extent are residents curious about the natural work around
   them?

*Institutions and Government*

To facilitate the growth of biophilic connections, many players must become
involved. Most important: there should be education programs to foster
connectedness to nature- locally, regionally, and globally. Institutions
that could have particularly strong roles include botanical gardens,
municipal zoos, natural history museums, and conservation groups.
Beatley writes about Lewis Ginter Botanical
Garden<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymYigvzitpGxjV5FY-WCLKYNOArNThz0QQ0VQPwf2YP5bncLlwB8xGKEHvkgSEP3zhp23IF-2OQfUMIjiWdCLs0dcskB-yKcLY4BkwFkHr5mXg==>of
Richmond, Virginia, which grows food for its community. It has five
"learning farms" for urban youth to work at and earn an income.  To
determine whether governments and instutions are doing enough, questions are
directed at how well cities are protecting and building their biodiversity
and investing in education:

   - Has the government adopted a local biodiversity action plan or
   strategy?
   - Has priority been given to environmental education?
   - Has the government adopted green building and planning codes, grant
   programs, density bonuses, green space initiatives, dark-sky lighting
   standards, etc?

Overall, the city should be a place that is deeply connected to nature; it
breaks the average urban resident's feeling of alienation from
nature. Planners and landscape architects need to mediate and facilitate
this process, Beatley argues, so that we envision our cities as a living
environment. With many case studies and best practices, the book offers
exemplary ideas for professionals to consider as they re-naturalize the
urban world.

Read the book<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymbsCFHUg8TF4hDtenrhlSUXY-IglJwEIQmnWzXDaREdXLHgF8DarRwcaHZrFgs3p1K0HWf8TsjLORpkZ6gLJItAXI0_0FBDsWsOe518kijWlAC5ed4lcjU82BktxmOd3uPu6rtF8vlhyfKrVD5P835gIJoUWBQ47BpZ_avePW9Dn7b2llX_GoTwT_CxXMYNtZWNsyRzj31HwgURA5iPHSK558Izkb5vfwXbPsDyhDFK2okFApwSA5wDl_DZ3wwp1-XGP_wUIxZNTIv0nDHP9Fxk>
and
learn more about biophilic landscape
design<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hdosiabab&et=1105071823172&s=12359&e=001Q03reR6DymZNznvOsvr9cUdADQfqh8PEJ9KxZ9EIDzAQCcaKkqFDANm9O9avpiuuwvRRXMm446riqJcNI5OtKU4fO3vvlTeAja7QdQrH0stzIifOh7haB9z65w70jrR7YBFKFkfxRxmq-vuGEo6lWixx78lD2ZxtdVS8cYHe_SsZwm28Ix_WmL3utsQiPfG102pTurUV_Mw1r_SOinC62Q==>
.

*This article first appeared as a guest post on Sustainable Cities
Collective by Amanda Rosenberg, 2010 ASLA advocacy and communications
intern. *

*Image credit: Timothy Beatley / Island Press*

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