What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like stormwater reduction, from a biophilic viewpoint, they also facilitate experiences that contribute to better physical and mental health: natural elements in play areas can lessen children's symptoms of ADHD, and adults who exercise in natural spaces can experience greater reductions in anxiety and blood pressure.
The Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design offers practical advice and inspiration for ensuring that nature in the city is more than infrastructure'that it also promotes well-being and creates an emotional connection to the earth among urban residents. Divided into six parts, the Handbook begins by introducing key ideas, literature, and theory about biophilic urbanism. Chapters highlight urban biophilic innovations in more than a dozen global cities. The final part concludes with lessons on how to advance an agenda for urban biophilia and an extensive list of resources.
As the most comprehensive reference on the emerging field of biophilic urbanism, the Handbook is essential reading for students and practitioners looking to place nature at the core of their planning and design ideas and encourage what preeminent biologist E.O. Wilson described as ""the innate emotional connection of humans to all living things.""
Part I. The Power and Promise of Biophilic Cities
Chapter 1. The Power of Urban Nature: The Essential Benefits of a Biophilic Urbanism Chapter 2. Placing Biophilic Cities: Planning History, Theory and the New Sustainability Chapter 3. Urban Trends and Nature Trends: Can the Two Intersect? Chapter 4. Biophilic Cities: Examining the Metrics and Theory
Part II. The Practice of Biophilic Urbanism: Cities Leading the Way Chapter 5. Singapore: City in a Garden Chapter 6. Wellington, NZ: Nature on the Edge Chapter 7. Milwaukee: Greening the Rust Belt Chapter 8. Birmingham: Health, Nature and Urban Regeneration Chapter 9. Phoenix: The Promise of Biophilia in the Desert Chapter 10. Portland: Nature in the Compact City Chapter 11. San Francisco: From Park City to Wild City Chapter 12. Oslo: The City of Forest and Fjord Chapter 13. Vitoria-Gasteiz Chapter 14. Global Survey of Cities: Shorter City Cases and Exemplars
Part III. Exemplary Tools, Policy Practices Chapter 15. Detailed Profiles of Biophilic Design Tools Techniques, Design Ideas
Part IV. Successes and Future Directions Chapter 16. Biophilic Cities in the Age of Climate Change: Mitigation, Resilience Through Nature Chapter 17. What Can Be Learned From the Best Biophilic Cities? Chapter 18. Key Obstacles to Biophilic Cities (And Ways To Overcome Them) Chapter 19. Conclusions and Future Directions
"In moving beyond green architectural, infrastructural, and technological fixes, Beatley emphasizes an integrated socio-ecological approach to nature-centered urban living—an approach that is increasingly urgent and essential in the Anthropocene. Grounded in theory and accompanied by an international suite of best-and-next practices, this work offers a timely call to action for the planning and design of resilient cities that nurture, protect, and connect with the nature that sustains us."
