BIOPHILIC CITIES A Global Journal of Innovation in Urban Nature Vol. 3/No. 1 November 2019

THE NATUREFUL CITY Special Expressions of Nature / Tim Beatley FEATURE Ocean Cities / Simon Pittman & Katherine Moseley PROJECT PROFILE The Green Cloud Project / Vivin Qiang & Xin “Fish” Yu PARTNER CITY PROFILE City Forest Carbon+ Credits/ Lucia Athens & Mark McPherson he Biophilic Cities Journal is produced by Biophilic Cities, which partners with cities, scholars and advocates from across Tthe globe to build an understanding of the value and contribution of nature in cities to the lives of urban residents. As a central element of its work, Biophilic Cities facilitates a global network of partner cities, organizations and individuals working collectively to pursue the vision of a natureful city within their unique and diverse environments and cultures. The participants in the network are working in concert to conserve and celebrate nature in all its forms and the many important ways in which cities and their inhabitants benefit from the biodiversity and wild urban spaces present in cities.

Many individuals and organizations are due thanks for helping to produce the Journal. We owe special thanks to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Summit Foundation for their generous and continuing financial support for Biophilic Cities. We also thank the University of Virginia School of Architecture for hosting and supporting Biophilic Cities in many ways.

For more information on Biophilic Cities, and to learn about ways to become involved in this global movement, please visit us at BiophilicCities.org.

Founder and Executive Director Tim Beatley

Program Director JD Brown

Director of Partner Cities Carla Jones

Director of Biophilic Research Julia Triman

Partner City Coordinator Maria Tahamtani

Communications Coordinator Lucia Shuff-Heck

Graduate Research Assistants Sean Geygan Carolyn Heaps Kevin Kask Rachel Moon Mary-Michael Robertson

BIOPHILIC CITIES ADVISORY BOARD Julian Agyeman (Tufts University); Bill Browning (Terrapin Bright Green); Lena Chan (National Parks Board of Singapore); Nina-Marie Lister (Ryerson University); Richard Louv (Journalist, Author); Peter Newman (Curtin University); Wallace J. Nichols (Blue Mind Fund); Richard Piacentini (Phipps Conservancy and Botanical Gardens); Fritz Steiner (University of Pennsylvania School of Design); Amanda Sturgeon (International Living Future Institute); Catherine Werner (City of St. Louis); Celia Wade-Brown (Wellington City, New Zealand); Jennifer R. Wolch (UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design).

BIOPHILIC CITIES STEERING COMMITTEE Julia Africa (Boston, Massachusetts); Peter Brastow (San Francisco Department of the Environment); Matt Burlin (Portland, Oregon, Bureau of Environmental Services); Scott Edmondson (San Francisco Planning Department); Nick Grayson (Birmingham, U.K.); Cecilia Herzog (Inverde Institute); Mike Houck (Urban Greenspaces Institute); David Maddox (The Nature of Cities); Luis Orive (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain); Jana Soderlund (Curtin University); Stella Tarnay (Biophilic DC); Helena van Vliet (BioPhilly); Maria Wheeler-Dubas (Phipps Conservatory).

Solstice Sunrise Yoga, Dorothea Dix Park, 2018 Image Credit: City of Raleigh, NC CONTENTS | BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL Vol. 3/ No. 1 | November 2019 PARK PROFILE: 40 DOROTHEA DIX PARK: A PARK WITH A CITY IN IT BY CAROLINE LINDQUIST

HEALTH: 44 HEARING BIRDSONG BY TIM BEATLEY 40 22 TOOLS: 46 YOU CAN’T MANAGE WHAT YOU CAN’T MEASURE BY NADINE GALLE THE NATUREFUL CITY: 6 SPECIAL EXPRESSIONS OF NATURE PIONEER INTERVIEW: 50 A CONVERSATION WITH FLIGHT - PROTECTING INDONESIAN BIRDS with MARISON GUCIANO, FLIGHT FOUNDER FEATURE: 12 TRANSFORMING OUR COASTAL CITIES INTO OCEAN CITIES: 46 RESEARCH: 52 AN URGENT CALL FOR ACTION DE-REGULATING WILDNESS BY SIMON J. PITTMAN and KATHERINE MOSELEY BY JULIA TRIMAN 12 THE BOOKSHELF: 58 FEATURE: 18 BIRD THERAPY BY JOE HARKNESS, FOREWORD BY CHRIS PARKHAM CITY BY NATURE: ReWILDING THE NORTH TEXAS BRANCH WATERS NETWORKS REVIEW BY TIM BEATLEY FOR URBANISM BY KEVIN SLOAN SHORT STORY: 60 52 WATERWAYS AND DREAMSCAPES BUILDING SPOTLIGHT: 22 BY LANNAH MARSHALL DESIGNERS WALK: TORONTO’S NEW FOREST IN THE SKY BY TIM BEATLEY 18

SAVE THE DATE FOR MARCH SYMPOSIUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA! PARTNER CITY PROJECT PROFILE: 26 REPLANTING RIPARIAN FOREST BUFFERS IN AUSTIN THROUGH CITY FOREST CARBON+ CREDITS BY LUCIA ATHENS and MARK MCPHERSON

BUILDING SPOTLIGHT: 30 VITAE IN MILAN: A VERTICAL VINEYARD CREATES A NEW MODEL OF BIOPHILIC INFILL 30 BY TIM BEATLEY

PROJECT PROFILE: 32 THE GREEN CLOUD PROJECT BY VIVIN QIANG and XIN “FISH” YU

BIODIVERSITY: 36 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BIRD FRIENDLY? 36 BY ADAM BETUEL

Cover: ReWilding the Trinity Image Credit: Kevin Sloan Studio

4 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 5 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / THE NATUREFUL CITY role in creating meaningful and flourishing lives.

For Chelsea Johnson that meant working to find a reasonable compromise that would allow for the protection of trees but also some development flexibility. She started convening weekly discussions with developers and environmentalists around her dining room table that eventually led to a new ordinance, adopted by the Tampa City Council in April of 2019. It is a story that shows the power of grassroots activism, the benefits of bringing sometimes warring community Tampa, Florida factions around a table, and the Photo Credit: Matthew Paulson enduring power that trees and other forms of nature have to The Natureful City: Special Expressions of Nature deeply enhance the quality of our lives. Tampa, Florida By Tim Beatley Photo Credit: Michael Cutillo The rest of the story is not so Chelsea Johnson remembers that trees were an essential part the face of tree protection in optimistic. Some weeks later towers as an essential element in “a terraced hillside community well when she got word that of the quality of life in Tampa Tampa. the conservative-leaning Florida reaching that city’s tree canopy of trees,” which is why they have the homebuilders association and an especially important state legislature adopted a law and climate goals. The first of been very adamant in their in Tampa was trying to push part of the beauty of her own The value of trees and other that included a prohibition of these forested towers—a project support of the new development. through changes in the city’s neighborhood. urban ecosystems extends far local tree protection laws such called Designers Walk—has This project shows clearly that iconic tree protection ordinance. beyond aesthetics of course. as Tampa’s. It seems immensely recently been approved, but biophilic design is something These changes would have made Chelsea Johnson quickly Heat is the most deadly weather- undemocratic, that distant only after months of opposition that can overcome the typical it much easier for developers and responded to the alerts she related killer. Trees reduce the legislators can overturn the from the city. Indeed, as Brisbin opposition to increased urban homebuilders to cut and clear heard about the gutting of urban heat-island effect, lower animated will of local residents explained, the high-rise tower density. trees that stood in the way of Tampa’s tree code, and she cooling costs, provide wildlife to create the kind of community became something the residents’ new construction. Put another managed to stop this proposal habitat, absorb climate-changing they wish, but it illustrates the association strongly supported, One of the most inspiring way, it apparently would allow in its tracks. She soon became carbon dioxide, reduce flooding kinds of obstacles faced in actively pushing the project’s places where density and nature “clear-cutting” on residential lots. deeply immersed in efforts to and help recharge groundwater. protecting local nature and in approval. This is interesting are both accommodated is The proposal seemingly came more carefully update and revise They are just one of the many advancing biophilic cities in the and unusual given the typical Paris, and in June we had the out of nowhere. Tampa’s tree code, which has ecosystem services that natural US and around the world. NIMBYism that prevails. wonderful chance to see the been on the books since 1972. environments can provide in fruition of months of planning A similar twist to this tree story Johnson was the president of She founded the local group cities, usually at no cost to “We’re excited, we’re approved, by David Maddox and his team can be found in recent months the South Tampa Neighborhood Tree Something, Say Something taxpayers. Recognizing their we’re going forward,” Brisbin told of volunteers for the Nature in Toronto. I spoke with Brian Association and, as she explained to engage and organize importance, many cities are me this summer. It is a structure of Cities Summit, a four-day Brisbin, a biophilic-oriented to me in a recent phone call, was citizens but also to negotiate putting nature back to work that, if the renderings are any conference, which Biophilic architect who has designed a not especially knowledgeable a practical compromise with and making natural systems a reasonable indication, will deliver Cities joined as a sponsoring new kind of forest tower. There about trees or the city’s tree the homebuilders pushing to high priority in urban design new forms of nature not just to organization. It was unlike any is more detail in the lead story protection ordinance when she eliminate the tree code. Holding and planning. And they are residents but to the surrounding conference I have been to, with below, but he and his urban heard about the eleventh-hour weekly meetings around her recognizing the essential life- community. Residents will see plenary keynotes replaced with proposal. However, she did know dinner table, Johnson has become enhancing value of nature and its forestry advocates see such conversations and dialogue. 6 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 7 There was an emphasis on the Biophilic Cities had a hand in embraced by London to efforts at many ways of understanding organizing several workshops creating greenspaces and parks and appreciating nature—from including one focused on the in Mumbai and Shanghai (among poetry and literature readings to Biophilic Cities Network and many other efforts in many other art and music. It was an intensely another around the idea of Blue cities). interactive and participatory Urbanism, how coastal cities can conference, with every smaller begin to better connect with Spending time in Paris is always session an opportunity to work the marine world around them. a joy and always inspiring. together on something. On one One of the things that makes a The city continues to push the day, I found myself tracing a meeting like this so exhilarating needle announcing several poplar leaf onto a large wall- is the appreciation that there new initiatives to bring more sized mosaic (a leaf I had brought are many other people and nature into the center. Paris has from Virginia) helping to draw a organizations working on behalf admirably engaged the public kind of global tree of life. of urban nature: from NYC Nature in this process of growing more Goals 2050 in New York City to nature in the city, including the National Park City vision planting trees. One particularly striking method is to create a sort of raised bed planting box around the base of trees, something I have been calling a “Tree Garden.” The garden usually includes the names of one or more Parisians who have agreed to take on the duty of caring for these trees and plants. Chrisopher Alexander’s 1977 A Pattern Language

On another day, I happened to few thousand) of plants. Could each year in some 14 cities in 1977 book, A Pattern Language, witness a street spectacle that we even imagine that one of France (at what they call Grande we have embarked on a journey to me was a bit of an epiphany. the legitimate and important Ventes, or Big Sales). On that to unearth and share global As I walked along one street, on functions of a municipal day on a street in Paris, I found biophilic city nature patterns. my way from hotel to conference, government might be to grow myself equally engulfed in this there seemed to be something and distribute plants to those botanical excitement and did I became acquainted with the of a commotion ahead, as people residents needing or wanting myself take a plant. I carried it power of Pattern Language back were hurriedly and excitedly them--the benefits in enhancing carefully the several miles to in graduate planning school at grabbing small plants from a tall mood, cognition, and reducing the conference venue where it the University of Oregon, where rolling platform. Sedums and stress, suggest that it would be become a part of the official (and for a time I worked on a housing many other kinds of plants were, a strategy that would deliver a meager) greenery there. study for the Confederated Tribes I learned, being given away that high ratio of value-to-cost and of Warm Springs. I discovered day for free. These hundreds of would be one small element of My time wandering around Paris Alexander’s book in the UO plants had been left over from response to growing levels of helped solidify an interest in library, and his idea seemed a recent plant sale, and were depression and anxiety. I found more systematically exploring well-suited as a framework for being snatched up mightily fast out later that the plants being the unique and special exploring different housing ideas and with remarkable energy and given away were leftovers from expressions of nature that and policies. enthusiasm. an interesting initiative called exist in every city—the special Plantes Pour Tous (Plants for All), ways that nature emerges or Others have been equally I came away thinking to myself started by a couple of landscape manifests and the particular inspired by the idea of Pattern how a city might similarly gardeners who saw the need ideas a city or a neighborhood Language. We now have the Plant Giveaway in Paris, France create a plant give-away and to grow and sell houseplants pursues to bring that nature wonderful (and wonderfully Photo Credit: Tim Beatley how cost-effective it would be inexpensively, something they to life. Inspired by Christopher useful) set of 14 Patterns of to invest in a few hundred (or a now do on multiple weekends Alexander’s groundbreaking Biophilic Design from Bill 8 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 9 Browning and Terrapin Bright several additional short films unforeseen obstacles--for Tampa Green. Other colleagues, on our web page since my last a recalcitrant state legislature including Professor Phillip writing. Several of these focus that sees little need for trees or Tabb of Texas A&M have been on inspiring stories of efforts for the local self-determination discerning and writing about to protect and celebrate bird to preserve them—but it the biophilic patterns uncovered life in cities, including efforts in will ultimately be the force in particular places, such as the Atlanta to make that city more of will and the commitment community of Serenbe, near bird-friendly. September saw the to a natureful city that such Atlanta, Georgia, which is the publication of a groundbreaking individuals and groups exhibit location of the annual Biophilic study by researchers at the that will turn the tide. Leadership Summit that Biophilic Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cities co-hosts. Finally, there is documenting a shocking decline Peter Kahn and his colleagues in the number of birds in North Resources: at the University of Washington, America. Compared to 1970, who have been equally inspired there are an astounding 3 billion by Alexander, working to capture fewer birds found in North Christopher Alexander (1977). A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, lost experiences of nature, America, representing a nearly Construction. New York: Oxford patterns they refer to as A Nature 30% decline. It is a depressing University Press. Language. study but perhaps a clarion call for cities to step forward in all W.D. Browning, C.O. Ryan, J.O. Building on this wonderful work ways possible to reduce the Clancy (2014). 14 Patterns of we have recently launched a hazards and expand the habitats Biophilic Design. New York: Terrapin new initiative to generate and available to birds. Profiling the Bright Green, LLC. https://www. publish online our own set of remarkable work being done in terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14- Biophilic City Patterns. Our effort cities such as Portland, Phoenix patterns. will hopefully lead to a kind of and Atlanta, is one positive step crowd-sourced global pattern in the direction of showing what Peter H. Kahn, Jolina H. Ruckert, Rachel L. Severson, Aimee L Reichert book. It will at once provide is possible. and Erin Fowler (June 2010). A inspiration, demonstrate the Nature Language: An Agenda to value and reach of biophilic As we approach 2020, we hope Catalog, Save and Recover Patterns cities, and share practical ideas to expand further these efforts of Human-Nature Interaction. for how a city can become more at sharing stories, but also to Ecopsychology, 2(2), 59-66. https:// natureful. We have developed a expand the tools available doi.org/10.1089/eco.2009.0047. simple template for preparing to cities. We hope as well to (including naming, describing, continue to expand the number Heather Stimmler (Feb. 4, 2019). illustrating) a candidate pattern, of participants in our Network- Inexpensive Houseplants by which will allow the submittal -individuals and organizations Plantes Pour Tous. Secrets of Paris. of unique and repeating patterns as well as city governments. http://www.secretsofparis.com/ heathers-secret-blog/inexpensive- from partner cities around the The citizenry and civil society of houseplants-by-plantes-pour-tous. world. biophilic cities will, we believe, html. be as important, perhaps more As the Biophilic Cities Network so, than official structures of city continues to grow, we will governance. It will ultimately continue to explore the creative depend on people like Chelsea ways we can share insights Johnson, who see the chance to and ideas and tell the stories make a difference for nature in of what cities around the world their communities, and who step are doing. We continue to tell forward, even at great personal these stories through filmmaking, cost and sacrifice (especially of for example, and there are now time). There will likely always be Nature of Cities Summit Photo Credit: Tim Beatley 10 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / FEATURE

Plymouth Hoe from Staddon Heights Image Credit: Nilfanion Transforming Our Coastal Cities into Ocean Cities: An Urgent Call for Action By Simon J. Pittman & Katherine Moseley

We are living in extraordinary upward or outward, or both, the world’s energy and produce have increased the severity and level putting over 800 million more recent scourge of plastics. and transformative times impact of coastal cities on the more than 70 percent of frequency of marine heat waves people at risk from flooding and Industrialized city seascapes experienced nowhere more ocean and consequently the greenhouse gas emissions. and powerful storms, and are costing at least $1 trillion USD. worldwide have left an unhealthy dramatically than the fastest entire planetary system is huge Collectively, the 10 cities (eight driving fundamental changes Concerns over the atmospheric ecological footprint that extends growing urban habitat on this and intensifying. In regions of of which are coastal cities) in ocean chemistry and species pollutants impacting ocean far beyond their operational Blue Planet—coastal cities. By rapid population growth, some responsible for the greatest distributions. health are relatively new, areas both in time and space. 2030, approximately 5 billion of coastal towns have become greenhouse gas emissions but coastal cities have long As cities expand upward and Cities also possess great the world’s 8 billion residents megacities in just a few decades contribute more carbon dioxide been directly responsible for outward so too is the ocean adaptive power in the face of will live in urbanized areas with with dire consequences for the to the atmosphere than all considerable chemical pollution expanding as the planet rapid change. Through huge more than half of the global health of the city seascape. of Japan. (Moran et al., 2018). of rivers, estuaries and the continues to warm. By 2050, over collective social and economic population living within 100 km Accelerated global emissions coastal ocean through runoff The UN estimates that cities 570 low-lying coastal cities will capital and an enormous capacity of the coast. Whether growing of atmospheric carbon dioxide and waste disposal and the consume 78 percent of the likely face a 0.5 meter rise in sea for technological innovation, 12 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 13 What makes an Ocean City?* The Ocean Cities Pledge: Ocean Cities know the ocean is precious. Statement on the Importance of Transforming Coastal Cities into Ocean Cities Ocean Cities embrace, celebrate and cherish ocean biodiversity, and the city’s cultural and spiritual (Formulated for The Nature of Cities Summit, Sorbonne, Paris, June 2019) relationship with the ocean. We live on the Blue Planet and increasingly the Urban Planet. We recognise that the global ocean Ocean Cities enable safe and socially inclusive public access to the ocean and enhance opportunities holds 97% of the life-giving water on our planet and most of us live near the ocean or near rivers that for activities that promote community wellbeing. flow into the ocean. Ocean Cities give voice to the ocean through integrated civic planning, policies and practices placing ocean health and integrity at the heart of their decision making. We need healthy oceans to sustain human life and wellbeing. We recognise that urban populations Ocean Cities stimulate curiosity, deepen knowledge, emotional connection and care for the ocean. benefit immensely from proximity to a thriving and healthy ocean, but our actions are continuing to Ocean Cities ensure that all school children visit the ocean and include ocean literacy in extra- negatively impact the ocean. We call upon cities to clearly and explicitly identify their impacts to the curricular learning. ocean and mitigate those threats. Ocean Cities understand and take responsibility for impacts to the global ocean and take actions to minimise negative impacts. We recognise that citizens are pivotal in transforming coastal cities into Ocean Cities where we cherish Ocean Cities actively enhance biodiversity of the city seascape through restorative and regenerative the ocean and work with the ocean to create healthier, happier and more resilient city living. actions and biophilic design. Ocean Cities nurture marine citizenship for a more responsible and compassionate relationship with We call upon cities to take urgent transformative actions in support of the global ocean and to rapidly the ocean. progress towards a more harmonious relationship between citizens and the sea. Ocean Cities prepare all residents for the consequences of accelerated climate change by co-creating a resilience strategy. options also brings fresh nature including our cultural ecosystem services could be *Interconnected characteristics of equal importance perspectives on unique local connections. As such, Ocean valued and communicated. assets generating new marketing Cities are blue biophilic cities Ocean Cities seek to deepen and cities are capable of rapid with a global Call for Urgent relationship between coastal opportunities. We recognize where marine nature is thriving enhance connection with the delivery of creative and effective Action to citizens and leadership cities and the ocean to look and that becoming an Ocean City and appreciated and where we ocean while also recognizing and solutions to address complex of all coastal cities. We offer feel like? Our synthesis of this has potential economic value in design and build in ways that working to minimize exposure of challenges. Cities therefore suggestions for transformative dialogue is presented here for destination branding, but taking foster a deeper relationship with people and property to coastal present both a “wicked problem” ideas, feelings and actions the first time. the blue urban pathway towards the ocean and its inhabitants and tremendous potential for that if enacted collectively hazards and sea level rise. Ocean We propose that transformation an Ocean City offers enduring (Beatley, 2018). efficiency in resource use. This is would transform a coastal Cities can increase resilience. of coastal cities into Ocean Cities benefits that flow far deeper why cities are being recognized city, no matter where in the Ocean Cities must work to Resilience comes about when a along a restorative blue urban into civic life than destination as pivotal places to address the world, into an Ocean City with educate citizens about the city collaboratively reviews its pathway to healthier, happier branding alone. climate crisis and many other greater prospects for enduring central role that oceans play in ability to address challenges and sustainable city living has socio-ecological challenges community wellbeing. We Call for Global Leadership from Ocean regulating climate and sustaining and vulnerabilities in the face tremendous benefits for the (e.g., smart cities, biophilic cities, Urgent Action through our Ocean Cities our Blue Planet. Knowledge of accelerated climate change. future of the global ocean and sponge cities, circular cities). UN City Pledge (Box, opposite page) about and care for oceans should Collective action that builds the wellbeing of humankind. We believe it is now time for HABITAT describes a city as a co-created with Professor Tim be considered basic literacy for upon existing processes and Longer-term holistic thinking all coastal cities worldwide to discrete place-based nexus for Beatley of the Biophilic Cities all. Citizens understand that activities enables cities to is key. Before the climate crisis, become a potent voice on behalf tackling multiple interconnected Network and refined through the city is not separate from adapt effectively. The process city planning rarely considered of the health and integrity of sustainable development goals. collective thinking during our the ocean but interconnected. of becoming an Ocean City futures beyond 25 years. This is our Blue Planet’s living system workshop at The Nature of Cities Citizens acknowledge the provides a strong ocean-centric Global Call for Action changing. It is now increasingly and to lead the world in global Summit in Paris (June 2019). With importance of the ocean in their platform to unite citizens, local acknowledged that active ocean conservation. Ocean Cities We contend that coastal delegates from twelve countries lives, understand the city’s impact projects and existing priorities shaping of future trajectories must walk the talk by working to cities are hope spots for we discussed three key questions: on the ocean and recognize in a mutual vision and helps by city leadership fosters regenerate and protect marine environmentally responsible and How can we enable healthier the difference they can make characterize a unified agenda, external confidence in a city’s ecosystems and biodiversity. socially progressive city living coastal cities through blue city through collective action. From specifically tailored to the city’s management of its assets and Ocean Cities must begin to and critically important places plans, practices and policies? an integrated land-sea planning strengths and vulnerabilities. risks making it more attractive include the marine nature to prioritize regenerative actions How can we better connect perspective, city maps and city Becoming a resilient Ocean City to businesses and promoting around them in their design for improved planetary health. cities and the sea for inclusive boundaries could be adjusted is an iterative and inclusive resilience. Exploration of long- and planning and must work Here, we present our holistic wellbeing and healthy oceans? to include ocean environments. process enriched by information term aspirations and policy to conserve and celebrate this concept of Ocean Cities together What do we want the future Perhaps the natural capital and flow from a diverse cross-section 14 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 15 statutory marine park concept on ocean health and too few aiming to increase inclusive cities have empowered citizens participation, re-invigorate to participate in creating safe, pride-of-place and nurture strong accessible and healthy city pro-ocean feelings and actions seascapes to enhance wellbeing through marine citizenship. Other for the common good. Our transformative ocean health future is in the hands of coastal initiatives are also underway cities and what we do now including the Plymouth Plan as citizens, and collectively for Plastics resulting in the UK’s as cities, will determine the first plastic-free waterfront and planetary conditions for future a range of city-wide actions to generations. We offer the Ocean achieve carbon neutrality by Cities concept as a connecting, 2030 following Plymouth City integrating and transformational Council’s declaration of a climate city-wide framework leading to emergency in 2019. a more responsible, healthier, resilient and compassionate While many coastal cities are relationship between people, our rapidly expanding, some historic Resources: cities and the ocean. We invite all port cities are experiencing coastal cities to consider our Call post-industrial shrinkage Tim Beatley (2018). Blue biophilic Victoria Peak, Hong Kong for Urgent Action and to adopt due to demographic changes cities: Nature and resilience Photo Credit: Florian Wehde our suggested transformational and logistical changes in the along the urban coast. Palgrave actions by pledging to become shipping industry (e.g., increase Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3- of city communities while Cities enable participation in vital feedback to decision makers, an Ocean City. It is easy to forget in very large container vessels), 319-67955-6 keeping the mutual vision of stewardship and restorative exert pressure for reform and when we live in cities that the requiring an adaptive response the Ocean City goals in sight. activities (e.g., habitat may even solve some problems ocean is the heart of this planet that has in some cases resulted Tim Beatley (2014). Blue Programs to increase ocean restoration/regeneration and themselves. Much of this kind providing life-giving processes in regeneration of post- urbanism: Exploring connections literacy will ensure that citizens clean-ups of beaches and of activity is already underway without which the planet would industrial coastal space for between cities and oceans. are well-informed of current and waterways) acknowledging and growing in coastal cities be barely habitable. The time for recreational use. Such coastal Washington, D.C.: Island Press. future environmental threats the mutual health benefits for worldwide. (Beatley, 2014). accelerated transformative action and businesses future-proof far people and the ocean. Citizens place-making transformations Deepening Ocean Connections is now. in advance of projected impacts. in Ocean Cities are empowered allow communities to regain Daniel Moran et al. (June 19, Beyond Destination Branding Furthermore, a program of to understand how they can access to restorative blue spaces 2018). Carbon Footprint of that were formerly inaccessible 13,000 Cities. Env. Res. Lett. 13, systemic transitioning to low help to minimize impacts to In 2013, Plymouth in southwest Simon Pittman is a marine because of industrial activities. 6. https://iopscience.iop.org/ impact sustainable practices in the ocean, for example, through England declared itself as ecologist at the University of This change in land-use also article/10.1088/1748-9326/ all sectors will promote local consumption decisions that favor Britain’s Ocean City through a re- Plymouth and Director of Seascape provides great opportunities for aac72a. and global ocean health and sustainable seafood, avoiding branding initiative to stimulate Analytics Ltd., a UK-based marine resilience. the use of single-use plastics, economic growth with the city’s implementation of the Ocean science consultancy. Simon J. Pittman et al. (2019). reducing emissions and taking unique and internationally City concept through community- Healthy Cities for Healthy Oceans Marine parks for coastal part in citizen science monitoring recognized maritime cultural centered design of public spaces and Healthy Citizens Katherine Moseley is a cities: a concept for enhanced projects. Citizens can call for roots. With growing awareness of to enhance connection with psychotherapist for the UK community well-being, prosperity Ocean Cities recognize their action and increasingly will. the plight of the ocean, Plymouth the ocean and bolster social National Health Service and and sustainable city living. place at the forefront of both They have the right to demand has since taken another step resilience. Director of Seascape Research CIC, Marine Policy, 103, 160-171. human and planetary health. access to clean bathing waters, along the blue urban pathway The Time for Accelerated Action a Community Interest Company. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. Ocean Cities recognize the clean beaches, productive through the designation of the Is Now marpol.2019.02.012. wellbeing benefits that flow and diverse marine habitats UK’s first National Marine Park in from safe access to a healthy and the return of charismatic September 2019. Shaped in part Our coastal cities are places blue space and work to enable megafauna (e.g., whales, turtles, by the novel holistic concept of a where citizens and the sea are inclusive participation in health seals). Ocean Cities value active city marine park, Plymouth is the inextricably interwoven, yet promoting activities. Ocean citizens because they provide test bed for a new city-led non- seaside living has taken its toll

16 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 17 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / FEATURE before our very eyes, DFW is that is directly on the path of Blair Kamin, the Pulitzer Prize a unique case study of a new the Central Migratory Flyway. winning architectural critic of the and unprecedented mega-form These two conditions account Chicago Tribune notes: “Adding that offers both problems and for the unique and flourishing wildlife into a city is the next potential. The existing pattern presence of nesting bald eagles, step in a revolution that’s been and form is at a scale that egret rookeries, all species of transforming former industrial is statistically impossible to waterfowl and flocks of wild landscapes into places that urbanize with “density.” turkeys. The avian life supports are inhabitable, vital and spur predation that includes bobcats, economic development.” Kamin San Francisco has an average red fox and coyotes. Most of the continues: “what’s interesting human density of approximately species traverse the original here is the notion of integrating 30 residents per acre, while watershed network of the natural systems and wildlife into the residential density of Blackland Prairie in DFW and recreational culture and thereby Paris exceeds 100 persons per much more can be done with it. enriching both of them.” (Phone acre and, during the workday, interview with Kevin Sloan Manhattan spikes to 500 to 1000 Rewilding Landscape Studio, July 2019). persons per acre in the financial Architecture districts. In DFW, approximately When rewilding is understood Rewilding the Trinity River 7 million continuous acres of Rewilding is an approach to as the process of biologically Image Credit: Kevin Sloan Studio incorporated services supports environmental design that is and ecologically programming 7.5 million residents. Thus, the sweeping the world. Continental landscapes, what began as an average human density of Dallas programs already exist in Europe. ecological method to correct City By Nature: Fort Worth is roughly one person The UK has a national campaign the environmental imbalance ReWILDING the North Texas Branch Waters Network for Urbanism per acre. and a director of rewilding of large regions and nature who reports to the Prime preserves is transformed By Kevin Sloan, ASLA, Honorary AIA The thinly settled pattern is Minister. Since 2013, Ireland has into a process that can apply punctuated with nodes that are undertaken a national campaign to virtually any landscape, building clusters. In between to rewild its rivers, which has led regardless of its scale or context. City in the Blackland Prairie that a person inhabited just by towns with their cathedral- the clusters, the vast watershed to the recent news that Dublin passing through. sized courthouses conspicuously network original to the Blackland is going to rewild Phoenix Park, A rewilding project begins by The North Texas Blackland positioned at the center, was a Prairie remains as a continuous the largest urban park in Europe defining a program of non- Prairie is a 16-million acre Less than one tenth of one unique invention to Texas that urban system of trees, deep since 1785. In the United States, human species that the project ecological subset of the Great percent of the original Blackland patterned the state in the early topsoil and waterways that The Wild Mile in Chicago is can appropriately and reasonably Plains that was once the largest Prairie remains. (White 2006; nineteenth century. Unbridled were too “wet” for development, transforming a significant length shelter. Not all species are in a series of tallgrass prairies. Eidson and Smeins). It is growth in the twentieth century too expensive in many cases to of the Chicago River into a appropriate for every site or Originally surrounded by forests, considered one of the most merged 13 counties in North culvert or bury, but easy to bridge “wildlife sanctuary.” project, given the circumstances the tallgrass prairie swept endangered ecology in North Texas into a seven-million- with streets and infrastructure. across the low hills and drier America. The Blackland Prairie acre urban agglomeration that Miraculously, somewhere around topography of a region that was has been civilized. is generally known today by 600 to 900 continuous miles interspersed by an extensive only two of the thirteen county escaped the twentieth century network of sheet springs, which In a 1957 issue of Architectural seats: “Dallas/Fort Worth” (or land rush. to the eye would have looked Record, two young architecture alternatively the “DFW Metroplex” like creeks, ravines and swales. professors at the University of or “DFW”). Moreover, DFW is teaming with The original grassland was taller Texas-Austin, Colin Rowe and wildlife. Several reasons account than a human, or any animal John Hejduk, published “Lockhart, When observed in satellite view, for this astonishing characteristic. species that lived in it. The Texas.” (Reprinted in Rowe 1996). DFW reads like a multi-exposure First, a city settled at one person pioneers noted how they went The essay made one particular photograph with patches of per acre contains an abundance “through” the Blackland Prairie, case, among many, that the urbanism seemingly interspersed of space for wildlife. In addition never “over,” nor were they ever gridded and Greek-like planning amongst the agriculture. As world to the abundant area, DFW is The Dallas Urban Reserve BioFiltering Street “on” it. This was a landscape of the Texas County Courthouse cities change and expand the largest city in North America Photo Credit: Kevin Sloan Studio 18 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 19 or potential conflicts of a manage, predict and reconstruct population in Dallas to live in with the public park space. Kevin particular context. Instead, new urban relationships with high-rise condominiums and Sloan Studio completed both the rewilding offers landscape nature. With it, we can rewild apartments along the creek urban planning and landscape architects the opportunity to DFW and cities like it. and greenway from 1960 to the architecture for Vitruvian Park. select, design and manage present. biodiversity, and to optimize This is not a “new” or original Case Studies the potential to reconstruct idea. Segments that demonstrate A second segment to consider is concentrations of biodiverse the concept are already complete. Vitruvian Park, a 112-acre mixed- Two case study projects by Kevin habitat for virtually any project Growing like sugar crystals on use infill quarter for 16,000 Sloan Studio follow. While they and occasion. Next, the program a string, innumerable projects residents in Addison, Texas, which were not rewilding projects of species generates horticultural have occurred along the DFW is a city just north of Dallas in when originally produced, each and ecological relationships that watershed network from 1911 to the DFW Metroplex. Begun in provided incremental discoveries are necessary for rewilding to the present. 2008, the planned development as research that eventually lead succeed. Lastly, human activity is is an array of blocks that spatially to the realization of the need then mapped into the rewilding For example, as the only envelop the 17-acre Branch for ecologically and biologically by design, so both human and greenway proposed in the 1911 Water Park; a public park which programming landscape works as Airfield Falls non-human co-exist and without Dallas Master Plan by George arose when a section of the a first condition for design. Photo Credit: Kevin Sloan Studio interference to each other. Kessler that was implemented, despoiled and spring-fed Farmers the 7.5 mile Turtle Creek Branch Creek was transformed The Dallas Urban Reserve – 2008 in both the existing groves of District’s agenda for water and Rewilded landscapes embrace Greenway in the Highland Park into a public park. to present change, unpredictability and area of Dallas is a one hundred volunteer hardwoods and the energy conservation, and the what artists in the twentieth year old demonstration that the To strengthen the spatial The Dallas Urban Reserve is system landscape of the project. park elements make palimpsestic century referred to as “chance nature of a Blackland Prairie linkage between the mixed- a residential enclave of 50 references to the Cold War site operations.” They are nurtured to ravine and sheet springs can used residential blocks and the modernist houses organized Airfield Falls – 2013 to present history and its North American evolve, change, to “go-with-the- generate culture, economic park, the massing of the urban along a continuously bio-filtering defense. flow” since rewilding is ever- prosperity and high-rise blocks became hybrids of space: street. The project repurposed The Airfield Falls Conservation seeking to remain in balance as urbanism. When the good life in creating tenant access to the park 12 acres of despoiled and Park materialized when Carswell its own nature is driven to evolve. Texas meant the largest house while simultaneously generating environmentally damaged Air Force Base in Fort Worth Kevin Sloan (ASLA, Honorary Rewilded landscapes avoid heavy possible on a noble estate, the semi-private amenity spaces and land between a 1950s north downsized, making a relic of AIA) is a Professor of Practice maintenance as an activity that bucolic nature of Turtle Creek swimming pool courtyards Dallas subdivision and White the original Blackland Prairie, in Architecture in the College of perpetually returns a project to still compelled a significant between that are contiguous Rock Creek. The biofiltering the tallest natural waterfall Architecture, Planning and Public an originating image. street asymmetrically slopes in North Texas, accessible for Affairs at The University of Texas- stormwater into a repetitive public recreation. The waterfall Arlington. was untouched by design, but Branch Water Urbanism system of rain gardens that gather, process and direct water the quarter mile path to it “The North Texas Branch into irrigation ponds that are was rewilded for a program of Resources Water Network” is a concept to bridged by architecture. The songbirds, migratory pollinators Matt White (2006). Prairie Time: A utilize the nature of the entire asymmetry reinforces two and flocks of wild turkey. The arrival “trailhead” park is a highly Blackland Portrait. College Station, watershed network in DFW as distinct landscape edges. To Texas. Texas A&M University Press. an attraction to draw, aggregate handle the deluge and drought designed landscape that includes and form walkable urbanism cycles of North Texas, they a historic jet aircraft display, a water harvesting parking lot, a J Eidson and F.E. Smeins. Texas along the creeks, streams, and created a robustly planted edge blackland prairies. World Wildlife bio-filtering percolation field springs of the watershed. The of horsetail reed and cypress Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/ Network is a proposal that is and a “dry” non-irrigated side along with a family shade and ecoregions/na0814. less a master plan of totalizing that consists only of desert picnic pavilion that marks the ideas, and more an initiative to willow trees in museum gravel. former location of the base Colin Rowe (1996). As I Was Saying: guide an otherwise ad hoc set Proximity to White Rock Creek commanders house. Authentic Recollections and Miscellaneous of interventions, with awareness accounts for an abundance of aviation lighting in the park Essays. Edited by Alexander furthers the client and Water Caragonne (Ed.) Cambridge, MA. MIT and a set of game-like rules. It Airfield Falls Rewilded Path wildlife that has taken hold Press. is a tool and process that can Photo Credit: Kevin Sloan Studio 20 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 21 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / BUILDING SPOTLIGHT The project has recently received that “90% of these buildings the green terraces create a kind its permits from the City of are simply glass boxes.” There is of “privacy and sanctuary,” both Toronto, and Brisbin estimates an unfortunate lack of texture for residents of the structure and construction will begin within and diversity of material in the people looking back at it. a year and a half. The project these buildings, he says, not to is in the construction detailing mention their high energy and Buildings like Designers Walk stage as well as marketing. One carbon footprints. In contrast, are not only going to be more interesting difference from the he describes Designers Walk as desirable visually, he argues, usual way building projects something that will look like a they will be essential if the like this one happen is the very “terraced hillside community city hopes to meet its goal of positive reaction of the residents of trees,” creating a “softer increasing forest canopy cover by of the neighborhood in which and greener, more natural 30%. There is simply not enough it will sit. Rather than the usual environment.” No wonder horizontal space left in the city, NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard), neighbors like the design, so Brisbin believes planting Designers Walk the neighborhood association with little concern even about in the vertical realm will be Image Credit: BBB Architects actually advocated on behalf of the building’s height (often a essential. His forestry consultant the project, asking the city to major sticking point for nearby from the University of Toronto Designers Walk: Toronto’s New Forest in the Sky approve it. residents). agrees, believing the city’s target would be difficult to achieve By Tim Beatley In a disparaging critique of the To Brisbin, the terrace design is without projects like this. typical towers being built in the perfect antidote to the usual A new biophilic tower, Designers inspired by this project and has with potted plants on balconies, downtown Toronto, Brisbin says sterile glass tower. In his design, Walk, has been approved in learned much from it, even going it’s a building [where] trees Toronto that will likely transform so far as renting an apartment in and vegetation are integrated the way we design and build one of the buildings, and taking into the structure.” There are urban highrise structures in cities apart and photographing floor depressions in floor slabs, for throughout North America. It panels and control systems. example, that allow the trees to is the first highrise structure in be flush with the terrace surface. this part of the world to include Brisbin believes that Designers It is a “much more gracious terrace-level trees as a primary Walk will actually improve upon experience visually for people design element—in this sense a and extend the Boeri model. One inside,” Brisbin says. unique design contribution to the improvement is in the design of growing biophilic design genre the terraces and the placement The design innovations of of the forest tower. of trees and vegetation. The this project extend to the apartments at Bosco Verticale installation and monitoring of I spoke recently with the are a bit dark, he believes, and the trees and vegetation. The building’s architect and chief the view from the inside is a bit tree system is described as “plug proponent, Brian Brisbin (of obstructed. As Brisbin puts it, and play,” allowing the trees Brisbin, Brook, Beynon (BBB) “we still want to see the world.” to be easily dropped in and Architects), who is unabashedly Brisbin describes Designers Walk connected quickly. The building optimistic about this kind of as a building with “no balconies, will host around 400 trees, and design, even in a northern but only terraces.” The terraces thousands of plants. The vertical latitude city like Toronto. For are essential extensions to the forest will be owned by the Brisbin, the journey began interior living spaces of the units. condo corporation, maintained with inspiration from the and managed by a third-party Milan project Bosco Verticale, The trees and vegetation are maintenance company, and the world’s first example of a designed in to an exceptional carefully monitored by a research forested tower, and the first degree, another distinguishing team that includes faculty of such design by Italian architect feature of the design. According the forestry department at the Tree planting details for Designers Walk Stefano Boeri. Brisbin has been to Brisbin, “it’s not a building University of Toronto. Image Credit: BBB Architects

22 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 23 There are few things not to like about Designers Walk but one might be the price of the units. This is not exactly affordable housing, something I raised with Brisbin. The condo units will be expensive, and these wonderful green features will be beyond the reach of most people. Brisbin acknowledges this, but argues that the development of the green systems will be subsidized and underwritten by the pricier units: “These high- end condos will be paying for research, technology, deployment and standardization.” He fully expects that the technology pioneered and tested here will filter down to mid-level housing and eventually find its way into affordable housing projects.

Brisbin has big plans for more tree towers in Toronto and is already working on two others, to be located just a few blocks away from Designers Walk. In his mind, these tree towers will serve as vertical, ecological “way Top: Siting for Designers Walk in Toronto and tree planting density points,” with the potential to Above: Connection to an ecological network connect several nearby ground Image Credits: BBB Architects level or “horizontal” parks, as he calls them. These structures always possible to lie or distort will quickly become essential with renderings, of course, and Resources: elements in a larger urban the resulting buildings often ecology, a place for birds and do not match the rosy picture Brisbin, Brook, Beynon (BBB) insects and other biodiversity. conveyed by plans. But, if the Architects. https://bbb.ca. Projects like Designers Walk will resulting forest tower is anything (hopefully) help to bring about close to what Brisbin imagines it Robert Coffman (June 2018). an increasingly complex network will likely be seen as a positive Elevating Nature: Milan’s Boscoe of buildings, trees and parks, addition indeed--soft and green, Verticale. Biophilic Cities J. 2:1. all in a kind of “transmigratory to be sure, a hillside town of https://www.biophiliccities.org/ relationship.” trees that should help to cool bcj-vol-2-no-1. this urban setting, sequester It would be hard to object to carbon, and provide an important Designers Walk the kind of building depicted in dose of nature to those on both Image Credit: BBB Architects Brisbin’s renderings. No wonder sides of these tree-lined terraces. residents have been actively advocating on its behalf. It is

24 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 25 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / PARTNER CITY PROJECT PROFILE With the aid of City Forest Credits, the Austin Office of Sustainability, the Austin Watershed Protection Department, Travis County and the local nonprofit TreeFolks are completing a pilot project and launching the Travis County Floodplain Reforestation Program to generate carbon credits from reforestation of local rivers and streams.

The key to the innovative county- wide program, which works to Example of degraded stream with no forest in Travis County restore healthy forest buffers in Photo Credit: TreeFolks eastern Travis County floodplains, is that it also addresses climate impacts by generating carbon that more than one-third of zones here are rare. In addition, offsets, known as Carbon+ climate mitigation needed by extreme weather due to climate Volunteers plant trees at restoration Credits. These credits will be sold 2030 to keep global temperature change is exacerbating Austin’s event hosted by TreeFolks to the City of Austin to help meet rise below two degrees Celsius summer high temperatures, Photo Credit: TreeFolks the city’s 2020 carbon neutrality can be accomplished with flood conditions and wildfire goal. The pilot and program are conservation, restoration and risk. During the summer of both operated by TreeFolks and better land management. 2011, Austin had 90 days with Replanting Riparian Forest Buffers in Austin will generate carbon offsets temperatures greater than 100°F throughout eastern Travis County The tree planting projects and wildfires destroyed 32,000 through City Forest Carbon+ Credits on both public and private lands, will increase canopy cover acres of forest in Central Texas. in parklands, and in streamside and diversity in an ecosystem Three floods between 2013- By Lucia Athens, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Austin areas known as “riparian that needs help. The City of 2015 resulted in loss of life, & Mark McPherson, Executive Director, City Forest Credits zones.” Research by The Nature Austin Watershed Protection extensive damages to homes and Conservancy, along with fifteen Department recently concluded businesses, and displacement of other institutions, demonstrates that diverse wooded corridors many residents. along creeks and riparian The City of Austin, Texas has quality and quantity — as well as governments to provide an declared bold goals when vital contributors to fish, bird and adequate tax base to pay for it comes to climate change, wildlife habitat and our natural needed public services such as including carbon neutrality for ecosystem. City officials struggle emergency response or parks. city operations by 2020 and to balance new development Knowing that it will take more net-zero greenhouse gases to accommodate the needs of a than city action alone to protect community-wide by 2050. The growing city with preserving its and preserve what’s best about city’s recently adopted Water natural assets and tree canopy, Austin, a committed group of Forward plan sets a course to to continuing to pay for all the stakeholders has come together provide for the water demands of things needed to meet the city’s to pioneer an innovation that one of the fastest growing cities policy goals and maintain the can help ensure the health of the in the nation. high quality of life that attracts region’s riparian forest buffers people to the area. while supporting the city in Water is a precious resource in meeting its carbon reduction Example of healthy stream with Central Texas, and rivers and Recently, the State of Texas goals. riparian forest in Travis County streams with healthy forest passed legislation that severely Photo Credit: TreeFolks buffers are critical to both water limits the ability of Texas local 26 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 27 Investing in green infrastructure also serves to engage local also include private property can increase climate resilience. community members with owners to expand the scope of The augmented forest density, the local environment, the initiative. Nonprofit TreeFolks canopy cover, and tree diversity complementing Austin’s will work with volunteers and will improve the functionality participation in the Biophilic youth service organizations to of drainage basins and their Cities network and the Children plant native saplings in targeted surrounding ecosystems, while and Nature collaborative, and public and privately-owned also improving water quality. aligning with citywide green parcels. TreeFolks provides These plantings will provide both infrastructure efforts. Reforesting the reforestation services to food and habitat for local wildlife Austin’s local stream corridors private owners free of charge. populations and help to buffer will create lasting change, both These services include, for “Riparian locations contribute to local water quality improvements, stormwater against flood risk. within the city limits and across those applicants who choose to reductions, air quality improvements, and energy savings.” eastern Travis County floodplains. participate and are selected, free —Thaïs Perkins, TreeFolks New riparian forests will also trees, free planting services, and help to mitigate Austin’s urban How Is the Project Funded? free consultations. Benefits Beyond Carbon plantings keeps the City of Lucia Athens is the City of Austin’s heat island. Since heat islands Austin’s investments localized Chief Sustainability Officer, a can affect communities by Creating carbon credits to In addition to the grant City Forest Credits makes it while addressing global climate Landscape Architect, and author of increasing energy demand, air attract investment for tree funding, these tree plantings possible for tree planting change. Previously, the City of the Island Press book Building an conditioning costs, greenhouse planting is an innovative and will generate Carbon+ Credits projects in cities, towns, Austin did not have local options Emerald City: A Guide to Creating gas emissions, air pollution and scalable model, using the carbon issued by the nonprofit City metropolitan areas and other for purchasing carbon offsets, Green Building Policies and heat-related illness and mortality, market to create a financial Forest Credits, to be sold to the urbanized areas to earn and sell and has supported projects in Programs. this reforestation program mechanism to drive investment City of Austin to help meet its carbon credits. A key innovation North Dakota, South Dakota, and offers multiple ecosystem and in green infrastructure. A key climate program and carbon- in these City Forest Credits Mississippi. All proceeds from the Mark McPherson is the Executive human benefits. Public trees component of this initiative is reduction goals. “I think the work is that each Carbon+ Credit sale of Carbon+ Credits to the Director of City Forest Credits, a in Austin currently remove an the Travis County Floodplain is innovative and potentially quantifies more than just a City of Austin will be exclusively non-profit organization based in estimated 803 metric tons of Reforestation Program. As part game-changing. To harness the metric ton of CO2. Each credit used by TreeFolks for program Seattle that is working nationally air pollution annually, including of the inaugural U.S. Natural market to create environmental also estimates and quantifies administration and future tree to enable local tree planting and ozone, nitrogen, particulates, Climate Solutions Accelerator benefits in cities is a great rainfall interception (one plantings in Central Texas. preservation projects to earn and volatile organic compounds, Competition, the initiative is thing,” said Zach Baumer, climate element of stormwater runoff), carbon credits and sustainability while producing nearly 58,000 funded in part by the Nature program manager for the City of local air quality, and energy “This project is truly a win- certification. metric tons of oxygen. Conservancy with the Doris Austin who convened the initial savings through cooling and win,” says Thaïs Perkins, the Duke Charitable Foundation. The partners to create the program. heating impacts. Executive Director of TreeFolks. Resources: The reforestation project Travis County reforestation will “The city can move forward on Here’s how that translates into its climate goals, while putting Austin Water. Water Forward. http://austintexas.gov/waterforward. benefits for our community: five its carbon offset dollars to work acres of riparian plantings in the locally. The trees deliver the CO2 City of Austin. Office of Sustainability. Austin area will store around storage for a global atmospheric http://www.austintexas.gov/sustainabil- 530 tons of CO2 at 25 years of benefit, and the riparian ity. maturity and generate over 500 locations contribute to local City of Austin. Watershed Protection Carbon+ Credits. At maturity, water quality improvements, Department. that same five acres of trees stormwater reductions, air quality http://www.austintexas.gov/watershed. can annually intercept around improvements, and energy 500,000 liters of rainfall per savings. And that’s not even City Forest Credits. year, in addition to improving air counting the bird and wildlife https://www.cityforestcredits.org. quality and energy savings. habitat, potential recreation, Travis County. About the Environmental Left & Opposite Page: Mature Riparian Forest stabilization of banks and slopes, Quality Program. Photo Credits: City of Austin Using funds allocated for and so much more.” https://www.traviscountytx.gov/tnr/en- carbon offsets to purchase local vironmental-quality/about. Right: Plant saplings at a TreeFolks Ready Set Plant event credits from these riparian Photo Credit: TreeFolks TreeFolks. https://www.treefolks.org.

28 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 29 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / BUILDING SPOTLIGHT to ensure that such spaces are natureful and biodiverse.

VITAE also brings to mind the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, the Portland, Oregon offices of the environmental nonprofit Ecotrust. This restored 1895 warehouse had so many sustainable features that when it opened nearly two decades ago Ecotrust developed a “field guide” to the building, and encouraged visitors to “hike the building.” Guided by icons on a map of the Ecotrust Building is the water encourage “hiking a building” the building, visitors could start fountain displaying a map of the and it seems this is a growing VITAE at ground level by visiting the watershed. I like the idea that trend—there will likely be more Image Credit: Carlo Ratti Associati extensive bioswale and move every sip of water might be a nature along the way as we leave up and through the building. The chance to celebrate and reflect ground level and move skyward. hike ends up at the ecoroof on its on the sustainable source of VITAE in Milan: third level, where you could see, that water. This feature seemed Walking through the city will among other things, FSC-certified also to capture well the larger now partly be about climbing, A Vertical Vineyard Creates a New Model of Biophilic Infill patio decking and good views of educational value of these kinds it seems, through and under a the surrounding neighborhood. of building “hikes.” I always like green canopy, with the chance By Tim Beatley One of my favorite features of the idea that we might of enjoying unique vistas and perspectives on city. The project The design firm Carlo Ratti building ending up on the ourselves in the natural world. Above: VITAE Piazza will include other green features, Below: VITAE’s 200-meter long vineyard. Associati (CRA) has recently won rooftop. The idea is that these There will also be a greenhouse Image Credits: Carlo Ratti Associati including collection and reuse the “Reinventing Cities” design spaces would be open to the on the ground level adjacent to of rainwater and greywater, and competition with a visionary public, essentially providing an a public square where the public construction utilizing wood in project that will help Milan extension of the public streets pathway up and around the the upper floors. Construction move further in the direction of and plaza below, allowing a building begins, as well as green on the project is to start in late being a biophilic city model. The pedestrian to climb to the sky. terraces on every floor. 2019. Once completed, this winning design, called VITAE structure will likely become as (meaning “life” in Latin or “vine” The project architect for There are other notable new iconic as Stefano Boeri’s Bosco in Italian), will house offices CRA, Saverio Panata, recently urban buildings that are Verticale and may similarly set and a research center and much described some of the things planning such vertical pedestrian in motion the design of vineyard more, including hydroponic he sees as especially innovative extensions. BIG’s new Spiral towers in cities around the world. producing greenhouses, and most about the project. One such Tower, under construction in This would be a very good result. dramatically an urban vineyard feature is the vertical pathway: New York City, is one case in attached to the structure. this “Green Spiral path,” as Panata point, with connected terraces Resources tells me, “symbolizes the DNA circling up and around the Biophilia is at the heart of this double helix and the encounter building and offering at least Ecotrust. Jean Vollum Natural Capital design. VITAE’s 200-meter long between research and biophilia.” the possibility that these spaces Center, Field Guide. http://archive. ecotrust.org/ncc/NCC_Field_Guide.pdf. vineyard wraps spectacularly may serve as an extension to the around the side of the structure The experience is one of High Line that ends across the Ecotrust. National Capital Center. and serves to extend the moving through nature, walking street. Undoubtedly, cities will https://ecotrust.org/project/natural- pedestrian realm vertically, under vine-covered pergolas, increasingly find creative ways to capital-center. creating a green pedestrian responding, Panata says, to at once expand civic and public The Spiral. https://www.thespiralny.com pathway that encircles the our human desire to immerse spaces in the vertical realm and

30 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 31 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / PROJECT PROFILE aim was to showcase a model stormwater management. In air quality, and lower greenhouse to improve the urban village’s 2016, Shenzhen became a gas emissions. stormwater management system pilot city of the “Sponge City” and its living environment. Due initiative and has been working However, the Green Cloud project to the lack of available space on to help urban communities in was not without its challenges. the ground, we decided to make Shenzhen become more resilient Due to the unique design of the use of the largely unused rooftop to urban flooding with green Gangxia 1980 green roof, some space on a residential building. infrastructure. TNC has been residents of Gangxia village Through a simple, replicable assisting the local government thought illegal construction was roof renovation that involves in restoring the city’s natural going on and filed complaints planting vegetation, the concrete stormwater management system to the district law enforcement, surface of the pilot building was by increasing the amount of resulting in the project being transformed into a “sponge-like” green spaces within the city. The forced to stop during the body that is capable of absorbing availability of empty rooftops is a beginning stages of construction. and preserving rainwater, while largely untapped resource, which To resolve the problem, TNC expanding greenery in an area makes it a perfect location to made various visits along with deprived of nature. install green infrastructure. Glocal, the property manager, to local community centers, The three-dimensional light steel The construction of the rooftop government authorities and law structure carries over 410 plant garden includes the installation enforcement. The team explained containers filled with indigenous of a rainwater collection barrel. the project and its objectives plants from Shenzhen’s coastal As a result, Gangxia 1980 now in further detail, invited them region, recreating the original retains over 65% of the rainfall to visit the site and shared The completed vertical garden is called Urban Mountain natural habitat of the city and that reaches its roofs, creating a details of the design plan with that can help control 65% of the stormwater runoff. Photo Credit: The Nature Conservancy enhancing biodiversity in the stormwater management system them. After several meetings, area. The rooftop garden is also that can absorb, purify, store and the project finally received oral a prominent example of the reuse rainwater. Green roofs also approval from local authorities The Green Cloud Project: Finding Green Space in an Urban “Sponge City” initiative, a Chinese help regulate room temperature and the community, allowing national policy framework that within the building, reduce the construction to recommence. Village (Shenzhen, China) focuses on sustainable urban urban heat island effect, improve By Vivin Qiang & Xin “Fish” Yu

Shenzhen, a coastal city located the city where one can find whenever it rains, urban villages in Southern China, is a classic affordable housing, attracting like Gangxia are especially case of rapid urbanization. In just migrant workers from other vulnerable to floods, as the 40 years, Shenzhen went from regions of China who have come abundance of impermeable a fishing village to a megapolis to Shenzhen for work. Gangxia surfaces is unable to absorb of 20 million inhabitants. Within Village is one of them; situated rainwater. the city, many original villages in the central business district remain, but rapid development of Shenzhen, surrounded by The Gangxia 1980 green roof, has turned the farms surrounding high-end hotels and skyscrapers. a pilot of the Green Cloud them into high rise buildings, However, due to high demand project, was launched by The and in turn, these villages have for housing, concrete residential Nature Conservancy (TNC) in become “urban.” buildings take up most of the collaboration with key partners, space within the urban village, including: Zhubo-AAO; Glocal Today, there are over 1000 urban leaving little room for vegetation Estate Management; and UPDIS Volunteers help plant more than 410 flowerpots to villages in Shenzhen. They are and green public spaces, such (Urban Planning & Design store and draw out water. one of the few places left within as parks or gardens. As a result, Institute of Shenzhen). Our Photo Credit: The Nature Conservancy

32 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 33 Community engagement environmental benefits, it has mind, we had an innovative idea was one of the key elements also sparked positive social – to host a live music concert on to the success of the Green impact for the community, the green rooftop. The majority Cloud project. Without proper providing a space for social, of the residents in the urban communication and a process recreational and educational village community are from the of trust-building with the activities for people of all working class and may not have local community, even well- ages. Since the garden’s official the means or time to attend a intentioned projects can be opening, TNC has led two classical concert. Therefore, we misunderstood or perceived summer nature education were inspired to bring a piece of poorly by the neighborhood. programs for local children, cultural life to them. This idea However, after the community where students from the village was supported by the Sinolink The project in progress and after completion. learned about the purpose of the have had the opportunity to Education Center in Shenzhen, Photo Credit: The Nature Conservancy rooftop garden, their attitudes be outdoors and learn about whose students volunteered to drastically changed. These subjects like the ecosystem and organize a performance. One the presence of green rooftops Despite these challenges, TNC days, neighbors are friendly biodiversity. The program also summer evening, using the across major urban villages in continues to work towards Resources: and engage with the project uses the green roof for children rooftop in an urban village as Shenzhen, under the premise of building healthy cities through by asking questions about to practice and observe nature their stage, a group of young ensuring safety and improving the integration of green Green Cloud/Zhubo-AAO. Arch the plants in the garden. Due in action as they try out their musicians held a classical both the environment and the infrastructure. By making room Daily. https://www.archdaily. to the close proximity of the gardening skills. music concert. The surrounding quality of life of residents living for nature, we can create a new com/902375/green-cloud-zhubo- buildings, some residents can residents came to watch and in these dense settings. It is type of city – one where urban aao. now observe the little green hill By creating social spaces such listen from their windows, estimated that urban villages residents can enjoy the benefits on the rooftop right from their as the Green Cloud project enjoying an unconventional provide affordable housing for of nature while mitigating the The Nature Conservancy. apartment windows— a sight within the urban village, the concert. approximately 50% of Shenzhen’s effects of climate change. Here Stormwater Management in seldomly available in an urban project team also hoped to residents, most of whom are in Shenzhen, we are trying China’s Cities. https://www. village. help build relationships among The rooftop garden inside migrant workers and young to redefine what urban life nature.org/en-us/about-us/ neighbors by bringing them Gangxia village is just the graduates. represents, starting from the where-we-work/asia-pacific/ The presence of the rooftop closer together and fostering a beginning of the Green Cloud “top.” china/stories-in-china/ garden not only yields sense of community. With this in project. TNC hopes to expand A highly transient population stormwater-management-in- poses a major challenge to the china-s-cities. A classical music concert was held on installment of green roofs in Vivin Qiang is a project consultant Urban Mountain for the community. these communities. Nearly all Photo Credit: The Nature Conservancy on the TNC Shenzhen Urban inhabitants of urban villages rent, Conservation team, focusing on and their lack of ownership gives sustainable impacts on urban them little power to negotiate development. any type of building renovation. The temporary nature of their Xin “Fish” Yu is TNC Shenzhen stay also discourages residents Conservation Director, managing from investing too much into urban conservation and public their living space. As for the engagement projects. landlords, many do not live in urban villages themselves, so they pay little attention to the living conditions inside the villages, especially when demand for affordable housing remains high. Therefore, the need to create more green spaces is not perceived as a priority.

34 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 35 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / BIODIVERSITY and English Ivy. These unwanted built environment has dangers. migrate, many fly at night and guests weaken our ecosystems Up to one billion birds perish use the stars and setting sun for by simplifying the structure and annually in the United States guidance. Growing light pollution diversity of our forests, choking from colliding with buildings. has been shown to disorient out native vegetation, failing to Reflective glass and transparent birds, causing them to be pulled produce the needed amounts barriers are threats that birds into illuminated areas and stop of insects our birds rely upon, are not equipped to handle, in places they typically would and in many other ways. Habitat often leading to death. Luckily, not. Once in these constructed restoration, valuing native plants, products exist that allow us areas, birds are more likely to and education centered on these to have buildings that allow hit a window, collide with a topics are ways in which we can for great vistas and enjoyable vehicle, or encounter the many create and support the habitats live/work spaces without the other threats that exist in these both birds and humans need. devastating thuds of bird- spaces. The responsible usage of building collisions. lighting, buildings constructed While it is vital to provide places with bird-friendly design features, where birds can flourish, a bird- Related to this issue of birds and green roofs, and urban planning friendly city must also reduce buildings is lighting. Many of our with ecosystems as a focus are the threats birds face in an winged brethren undertake an all vital for our cities to become urban setting. Birds have shown amazing journey each spring and truly welcoming and supportive us that they rely on wild places fall between their wintering and of wildlife. within cities but also that the breeding locations. As these birds

Ovenbird Photo Credit: Adam Betuel

What Does it Mean to be Bird-Friendly? By Adam Betuel

The best lens to use to be the When we think of how our cities they are thoughtfully done. The most eco-friendly is a pair can be bird-friendly and how tree canopy that Atlanta is so of binoculars. Making your it is essential to build places proud of not only cools our city, community bird-friendly is also where both birds and people sequesters carbon, and improves pollinator-friendly, energy- thrive, we must start with habitat our outdoor experience, but efficient, chemical-free, and and healthy greenspaces. As we also provides shelter for nesting climate-forward. These are just continue to grow and develop, it Great-Crested Flycatchers and a some of the environmental is often far too easy to weaken refueling station for migratory movements and hashtags that the places that our birds Magnolia Warblers. A strong are covered by making choices and other wildlife rely upon. tree ordinance and valuing with birds in mind. Most people Habitat protection, creation, and our urban greenery is vital have a story about birds and are restoration are all steps that a for a bird-friendly city. Just as curious about them, so it’s easy to bird-friendly city must take. important as habitat protection start a conversation. Birds don’t and creation is increasing the have a party, nor do they have Here in Atlanta, we have an value of the available habitat. a voice — this is neutral ground amazing and rapidly increasing Unfortunately, too many of our where making decisions that are network of trails. These human- yards, parks, and wild spaces are bird-friendly is a good thing for focused passageways can also overrun with exotic and invasive everyone involved. serve as corridors for wildlife if plants such as Chinese Privet

36 steps that we need to consider so that collectively we can make life better for our birds.

Birds disperse seeds, pollinate, inspire us, massively contribute to our economy, and connect us to the natural world maybe more than any other type of wildlife. We need birds for us as a society to excel and they need us to preserve habitat and lessen or eliminate our modern threats. As our world, and Atlanta specifically, urbanizes and braces for a growing population, we must support our ecosystems.

Bird-friendly cities can be constructed and fortunately, more and more steps are being taken every day towards this goal. Our buildings do not need to be ugly for them to be bird safe and we don’t need to forgo our comforts to coexist with our feathered friends. Take the steps you can and support the people and organizations that understand the value of our urban habitat. Now go outside and enjoy some birds!

Adam Betuel is the Director of Conservation for the Atlanta Photo Credit: Atlanta Audubon Society Audubon Society

For a city to be bird-friendly, it might not have property that you Resources: must have strong legislation can fill with native plants but and ordinances regarding tree you can purchase shade-grown Adult Workshops. https://www.atlan- removal and replanting, water coffee. In addition to putting taaudubon.org/workshops.html conservation, building design, your garage light on a timer, you and building materials, among can make sure your cat is fully Master Birder Program. https://www. other things. We all need to indoors and not contributing to atlantaaudubon.org/master-bird- er-program.html realize the value that birds bring the staggering number of birds to the environment and our lives killed by our felines each year Field Trip Calendar (Free!). https:// as humans and create (approximately 2.4 billion). Don’t www.atlantaaudubon.org/field-trips. infrastructure that supports them. fog your yard with pesticides but html do purchase food that is local However, a bird-friendly city also and reduces human impacts on Why birds matter. https://www.at- Visitor’s Center at Sawnee Mountain Preserve needs bird-friendly residents. You our environment. These are all lantaaudubon.org/why-birds-matter. Photo Credit: Atlanta Audubon Society html 38 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / PARK PROFILE that perception. Neighbors of the Conservancy, held an enormous give presentations on the park’s hospital property include North festival with performances by past, present, and future. Left & Right: Local Festival, 2016 Carolina’s Central Prison, the local musicians, food trucks, a Photo Credit: City of Raleigh Governor Morehead School for Ferris wheel, art installations, In 2017, the City of Raleigh the Blind, and formerly included and family activities on what was hired Michael Van Valkenburgh an orphanage, a co-location of once a pasture for the hospital Associates to create a master marginalized people of society plan for Dorothea Dix Park with in that time. Now, the city is a bold vision. During the two- working to transform the site into year master planning process, a welcoming central gathering city staff began what would space for all. become the city’s largest public engagement outreach process Dix Park planners knew that the in Raleigh’s history. Dix Park first steps of public engagement planners offered experience- needed to focus on informing based engagement opportunities the community about the site’s at the park to supplement public history and opening up this meetings and draw a more little-known space to all of diverse crowd. At park events, Raleigh. To capture the true farm’s cows. Although that July planners gathered ideas from potential of the project, the city day was the hottest day of the the public and listened to what needed to foster community summer, the festival drew 28,000 people wanted the park to ownership of the new park land. visitors. There was clearly a become. One strategy that planners used public yearning for a communal was activating the site with green space. Park planning staff In February 2019, the Dorothea creative park programming. In began offering hundreds of Dix Park Master Plan, shaped Dorothea Dix Park: A Park with a City in It 2016, at the one-year anniversary public walking history tours to by feedback from over 65,000 of the property purchase, the further introduce the community participants, was completed and By Caroline Lindquist city in partnership with the to the space. They also visited unanimously adopted by Raleigh newly-formed Dorothea Dix Park countless community groups to City Council. Three Park Principles

Sitting less than a mile from site of the State Mental Health destination park. the main street of downtown Hospital, named Dorothea Dix Raleigh, North Carolina is a Hospital. For the 150 years prior Dorothea Dix Mental Health 308-acre piece of land that is to the hospital, the land was a Hospital functioned as almost undergoing a transformation into plantation. In the early 2000s, a city within a city. It had its America’s next great urban park. the State of North Carolina own working farm, power plant, The rare opportunity to have an determined they would close water source, woodworking expansive green space on land in the hospital, as trends in mental shop, a playground and mini the heart of one of the nation’s health services had shifted away neighborhoods where doctors, fastest growing cities has led from centralized care. Multiple nurses, and their families lived. some planners and landscape community groups and local At its maximum, the hospital architects to call the creation business leaders urged the city property stretched westward of Dorothea Dix Park the most to seize this opportunity and 2,000 acres. The self-sufficiency important and exciting urban buy the land for public space. In of the property meant that the park project in America today. 2015, the City of Raleigh, with land and those who occupied it the support of the community, were in many ways isolated from How was this land saved for so purchased the 308 acres from the rest of the city. The stigma long from private development? the State for $52 million with the that surrounded the mental For 150 years, the land was the intent of turning the land into a health hospital only furthered Dreamville Festival, 2019 Photo Credit: City of Raleigh

40 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 41 Sunrise Yoga on the Summer Solstice Photo Credit: Dorthea Dix Park

of the master plan provide a thousands of sunflowers for park. Triangle Business Journal. https:// continued guide for transforming park-goers to enjoy. Lastly, the www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/ this park with a complex past team has hosted a wide range real-estate/2015/07/dorothea-dix-park- sale-finalized-raleigh-nc.html into the cultural heart of the of events to activate the green city: (1) Open Up and Connect; space and “Offer Something for Raleigh, City of. (N.d.) Raleigh ranks (2) Build from What is There; (3) Everyone”— from sunrise yoga among best places. City of Raleigh. Offer Something for Everyone. on the summer solstice to a https://raleighnc.gov/accolades. While the full vision set forth 40,000-person hip-hop music Raleigh, City of. (Feb. 19, 2019). Dorothea by the master plan will not festival. Overall, these continued Dix Park Master Plan. City of Raleigh. be completed for decades, the efforts are shaping this separated https://dixpark.org/sites/dixpark/ principles that guide it can be space for some to a place of files/2019-03/2019.03.18_DIX%20 and are being implemented in belonging for all. MASTER%20PLAN%20BOOK_web%20 the park today. viewing_reduced%20size.pdf Thompson, Desire. (April 12, 2019). How The Dix Park Team, comprised Caroline Lindquist is the Planning the seeds of Dreamville Fest planted of city park planners, park Specialist for Dorothea Dix Park in new culture In Raleigh. Vibe. https:// maintenance staff, and the Dix the City of Raleigh’s Department www.vibe.com/2019/04/how-the-seeds- Park Conservancy, has begun of Parks Recreation and Cultural of-dreamville-fest-planted-new-culture- in-raleigh “Open[ing] Up and Connect[ing]” Resources the site by tearing down a ten- Visit Raleigh. (June 19, 2019). Gorgeous sunflower fields at Dorothea Dix Park in foot tall fence that separated Resources: one edge of the property from a Raleigh, N.C. visitRaleigh. https://www. nearby neighborhood. The team visitraleigh.com/plan-a-trip/visitraleigh- Dorothea Dix Park. http://dixpark.org/ insider-blog/post/sunflower-fields-at- has begun “Build[ing] from What dorothea-dix-park-in-raleigh-nc/ is There” by using five acres of Hoyle, Amanda. (Jul. 24, 2015). State Sunflower Fields at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh the unused capped landfill that finalizes sale of 307-acre Dorothea Dix Photo Credit: Visit Raleigh property for new Raleigh destination was covered in weeds to plant 42 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 43 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / HEALTH side: specifically, to create clear of the bird box will become whether Hearing Birdsong thresholds that, once crossed, recognizable as a place where could reach a similar audience allow for hearing loss detection. one might be able to discreetly to similar effect, in many cases detect hearing loss. visitors simply sitting down and While a softer approach to letting the art wash over them. detecting hearing loss, the The latest version of the box Wouldn’t it be wonderful, he Hearing Birdsong installations being developed, in partnership opines, if visitors are “tempted to are also themselves a form of with the Dyson School of just sit and enjoy half an hour of art, and they have the potential Design Engineering at Imperial it, even if there is no diagnostic to deliver beautiful and uplifting College, will feature an even element.” (and therapeutic) sounds to the more sophisticated platform interior spaces of buildings. The for diagnosis, including sound installation can be small and software that will, for instance, compact, something that could better adjust for the background Resources: be taken to a school or set up in sound conditions of the various the lobby of an art gallery or a places the boxes might be Hearing Birdsong. https://www. doctor’s office. installed. hearingbirdsong.com. Image Credit: Beth McLeod from hearingbirdsong.com So far, two installations have Woods describes the artistic and taken place with another three other humanly enjoyed benefits Hearing Birdsong expected by the end of 2019. of birdsong as a kind of “parallel Woods and his team are working ambition.” In addition to cleverly By Tim Beatley on further developing the system, detecting hearing loss, there is and refining the software, and little question that bringing such British architect Tom Woods, of of his own Dad, and the “very undiagnosed. Hearing loss is he can imagine even larger beautiful natural songs into the the firm Woods Kennedy, found negative message” such a process often slow to be recognized. installations (perhaps even a indoor spaces where we spend himself one of the few people sends. What if, on the other “That point of self-diagnosis is room of 100 boxes or more). most of our time would be a in a co-designing workshop hand, one’s hearing loss might coming much later,“ Woods says. profoundly beneficial outcome. (referred to as the “sandpit”) be more naturally discovered He and his team plan to take the Woods thinks of installations around hearing loss without a and diagnosed by the ability The songs of three British boxes to schools and he hopes at The Turbine Hall at the Tate direct connection as a patient or (or inability) to hear birdsong? birds (Wren, Song Thrush, and at some point the iconic symbol Gallery in London and wonders audiology professional. He ended Instead of an electronic tone, the Wood Pigeon) are used. They up successfully pitching an idea use of birdsong, says Woods in are projected from bird boxes, to the group that has now been an August 2019 interview, should each “calibrated at a different funded and is beginning to take help “to humanize this process.” frequency band” to help detect Wren Song Thrush Photo Credit: Ryk Naves Photo Credit: Taco Meeuwsen hold. The emphasis can be more hearing loss. An installation positive and optimistic—keeping consists of an array of six bird The essential idea was to utilize or restoring one’s hearing in boxes of different colors, each birdsong—something universally order to enjoy the birdsong and with its own receiver and enjoyed—as a creative way other sounds we want to hear, speaker, all coordinated through to discern hearing loss. In the what Woods calls an “aspirational a laptop computer. The current UK, as elsewhere, many who message.” That was the essential version allows adjustments for have experienced hearing loss insight that lead to the Hearing background noise to create a have never been tested. And Birdsong project. sense of dynamic movement of there is little wonder, given the birds in a room. Further work typical process of going to an And the need is considerable. on the system (version 3.0) audiologist, putting on large Woods tells me that of the will allow the birdsong to be headphones, fearful of what the estimated 12 million people in even more customizable and results are likely to show. Woods the UK with hearing loss, the dynamic. More work will also be thought about this in the case vast majority (9 million) are done to improve the diagnostic

44 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 45 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / TOOLS world’s largest city with 35.6 from diesel to compressed gardens, and urban forests to million people by 2030. Without natural gas for its power plants, promote physical and mental reliable public transport, the these efforts are no match for health, cool the air, and filter out city is also home to some of the Indonesia’s booming economy. fine particulate matter—one of world’s worst traffic jams, and In the past decade, millions the most dangerous forms of air coupled with smoke from the (at more people were able to afford pollution. To continue harnessing times, illegal) burning of forests cars, motorcycles, mopeds, and these benefits as cities grow, and agricultural land, the city has scooters, which led to increased green space must also grow dangerous levels of particulate particulate matter and decreased in parallel. However, it is not matter. air quality. sufficient to merely grow the quantity of urban green space Similar trends can be seen in How to objectively monitor the without consideration of its other fast-growing Indonesian “quality” of urban green? quality. cities where infrastructure has failed to keep pace with Humans, like their ancestors, It is important to consider that population growth. Despite the need green space to thrive. And not all green space is created government’s best efforts to curb with increasing urbanization in equal. Variations in ecological Jakarta Data Visualization severe air pollution by phasing places like Jakarta, already scarce “quality” (number of species, out leaded gasoline, inspecting green spaces are stretched even integrity of ecological processes) You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure: How geoAI car emissions, and switching further. We rely on these parks, may very well influence the link Transforms Indonesia’s Human-Nature Conflict Zones By Nadinè Galle

What comes to mind when you have called attention to these at 33 of the world’s biggest and hear “conflict zone”? A place so-called “hotspots” as the most fastest-growing cities situated where factions are waging war threatened biological places on in these hotspots, including our against each other? An area Earth. latest project: Jakarta. marked by extreme violence? A region at sea in which ships are Jakarta: “Hotspot city” Jakarta has most recently prone to being attacked? In 2017, made headlines for being the Penn researchers launched “The While several factors have led to fastest-sinking city in the world. Atlas for the End of the World,” the demise of global biodiversity, Heri Andreas, who has studied which outlined a different kind of urbanization and its demand Jakarta’s land subsidence for the “conflict zone”: zones of imminent for intensive agriculture are past 20 years at the Bandung conflict between urban growth primarily to blame (WWF Living Institute of Technology, found and biodiversity. Planet Report, 2018). Mapping 95% of North Jakarta will be Credit: Green City Watch of these areas of human-nature submerged by 2050 (Lin & between access to green space advancements in a new field Our technology combines Specifically, the Atlas showed the conflicts has led to the definition Hidayat, 2018). and benefits to human health called “geospatial artificial ecological knowledge, new difference between the United of “hotspot cities”: cities with and well-being (Wood et al., intelligence” (geoAI) to map the data sources (high-resolution Nations Convention on Biological 300,000 or more citizens who While Indonesia’s president is 2018). Therefore, it is crucial to quality of urban green space. satellite data) and innovative Diversity (CBD) targets for are in direct conflict with considering moving the nation’s map, understand, and monitor Previously, satellite imagery and technologies (machine learning achieving 17% (global terrestrial) biologically-rich regions. In capital, there are other issues to these changes, whether positive GIS had mainly been used to & AI) to measure the quality of protected area by 2020 and what the Atlas, Richard Weller and contend with. For one, the city or negative. map the quantity of green space, urban nature. We also measure is actually protected today in the his colleagues outlined 422 of is also one of the world’s fastest or perform land use/land cover where the most impact can be 398 eco-regions that comprise these “hotspot cities” that fall growing. Currently, some 28 Green City Watch is an change analyses. But Green City achieved when constructing the world’s 36 biodiversity within the world’s 36 recognized million people call the Greater Amsterdam-based start-up Watch takes this analysis a step new—and improving old—green hotspots. The world’s scientific biodiversity hotspots. The Jakarta Metro Area home, and it’s that taps into high-resolution further. space. Our technology is able to and conservation communities research also took a closer look set to surpass Tokyo as the satellite imagery and the latest recognize and measure the 46 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 47 biodiversity and quality of urban Our model has endless the next frontier in ecosystem filter out pollutants and recharge nature. Frequent analyses applications for municipalities, management. the water table versus where it make it possible for us to green managers, and ecologists is blocked by concrete, buildings increasingly recognize and to conduct their park-inspections The in-house developed Green or other materials), the number interpret nature and biodiversity in a faster and more targeted City Watch Index scores green of trees within the parks, and through our models. We are way. This not only increases spaces on select ecological, the availability of amenities and also able to measure the health the efficiency and quality of social, and economic parameters, recreational facilities. The latter and composition of trees and inspections, but also enables the to holistically measure the leveraged crowdsourced data plants from the satellite data. manager to take more flexible quality of these spaces. The from the OpenStreetMap (OSM) We work closely with urban and focused action. This leads to Index considers water bodies, initiative. ecologists, biodiversity experts, higher quality green space and riparian vegetation zones, a and universities to improve our optimal protection of biodiversity. park’s composition, amenities For example, in Jakarta, Green analyses and ground-truth them The technology runs on big and facilities, and many other City Watch calculated these in the real world. (geo)data, which we believe is variables. statistics using our algorithms:

• Parks cover 825 hectares • 43 parks over 2 hectares in size • Over 300 hectares of trees, 90 hectares of grass and 20 hectares of water within parks • 225 hectares of high-quality green space, according to the Green City Watch index • Monas Park, one of the biggest city parks in Asia, has 8 public toilets, 6 sport pitches and 5 historic monuments typically plague ground-based Resources: measurements. But, perhaps most importantly, open-source geoAI, Mayuri Mei Lin & Rafki Hidayat. (Aug. 13, Now, with the added support 2018). Jakarta, the fastest-sinking city in of winning the World Bank’s like Green City Watch aims to the world. BBC Indonesian. https://www. Disruptive Technologies for develop, can make monitoring bbc.com/news/world-asia-44636934. Photo and image credits: Development (DT4D) Challenge cheaper and more accessible, Richard J. Weller, Claire Hoch & Chieh Green City Watch Award, Green City Watch will by supplementing—or even replacing—in-situ measurements. Huan. Atlas for the End of the World. Green City Watch analyzed 26 much as Indonesia’s major cities collaborate with CPL again http://atlas-for-the-end-of-the-world. Ultimately, enhanced assessments Proof of concept across of Indonesia’s most populated combined. to develop a “Green and Blue com/index_0.html. of existing conditions will help Indonesia’s 26 most-populated cities, including Jakarta, to Footprint Tool” that builds upon optimize the scarce resources Emma Wood et al. (2018). Not all green cities measure both the quantity and In addition to mapping the the project to include water within planning departments to space is created equal: Biodiversity quality of green space. Within quantity of green space, in terms bodies and scales it to realize ensure better green space for predicts psychological restorative After winning Maxar’s GBDX for three months, the initial proof of of the geographical extent and real-world impact. benefits from urban green space. Front. today’s—and tomorrow’s—rapidly Sustainability Challenge, Green concept managed to successfully locations of the green space, our Pyschol. 9:2320. https://doi.org/10.3389/ urbanizing populations. City Watch began collaborating identify 531 parks within the proof of concept also measured If we’re serious about imagining, fpsyg.2018.02320. designing, and building biophilic with the World Bank’s City 26 cities. Taken all together, this the quality of green space by WWF (2018). Living Planet Report Planning Labs (CPL) team, who represents 1,817 hectares of measuring parks’ infiltration cities, we must begin to measure Nadinè Galle is Co-Founder and - 2018: Aiming Higher. Grooten, M. has a mandate to accelerate green space in Indonesia. To put capacity (the maximum rate at the nature within them in CEO of Green City Watch, PhD and Almond, R.E.A.(Eds). WWF, Gland, evidence-driven urban planning that into perspective, the City of which soils can absorb rainfall), terms of both quantity and Candidate, Ecological Engineering, Switzerland. https://wwf.panda.org/ in Indonesia. Amsterdam (The Netherlands) ratio of permeable versus quality. Monitoring the urban University College Dublin and knowledge_hub/all_publications/living_ Fulbright Scholar, MIT, Senseable planet_report_2018. has about 1,476 hectares of impermeable land (where water environment with geoAI can City Lab To establish a proof of concept, green space in total – almost as can percolate into the soil to reduce the observer bias that can 48 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 49 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / PIONEER INTERVIEW wild birds to supply the demand. preservation of birds. quarantine authorities in the This is driving many species to We not only emphasize the Bakaheuni Port (on the island decline and even causing local importance of birds as seed of Sumatra) and Merak Port (on extinction in the wild. spreaders but also as guardians the island of Java), two ports of balance in the ecosystem. We that connect Sumatra and Java. BC: What motivates you to work also remind students that birds We provide vital support to the on behalf of birds? have the right to fly freely where quarantine authorities, including they like. As studies show, birds information from the results of MG: Challenge. I often visit the also have emotions, like us. We our investigations. bird markets. I saw them confined must not remove the rights of in small and barren cages. I birds by locking them up as pets BC: Keep up the great work that feel that birds in the cages are in small, barren cages. you do in Indonesia, and we look depressed. They have wings, forward to partnering in the but they can’t fly. Sadly, almost BC: What challenges have you future! everyone who sees this cruelty had faced in your work? Birds of Paradise thinks it is normal. I promised Photo Credit: Birds.id myself that I must bring change Song birds rescued from illegal trade released by FLIGHT for these birds. Photo Credit: FLIGHT

BC: What successes have you had Protecting Indonesian Birds so far? Interview with Marison Guciano, FLIGHT Founder MG: We have saved more than FLIGHT protects Indonesia’s birds currently a crisis here. The trade It will not be easy. Especially in 10,000 birds from illegal trade and raises awareness of birds in in songbirds is a significant Indonesia, where keeping birds and returned them to the wild. the country. Before forming FLIGHT, threat to the continued survival as pets has become a cultural its Founder Marison Guciano spent of wild birds in Southeast Asia. practice. But, we are optimistic BC: Are you finding public two years investigating Indonesia’s Indonesia is the epicenter for this that we can bring change. support for the work you are extensive illegal bird trade. Here, trade. In February 2018, FLIGHT: doing? And is this support Biophilic Cities explores, through Protecting Indonesia’s Birds was BC: Can you describe how serious growing? a Q&A with Marison Guciano, formed in response to this urgent a threat illegal trafficking in MG: The resources of FLIGHT are Edited by Sean Geygan FLIGHT’s strategy, successes, and conservation crisis. It is dedicated birds is in Indonesia and other MG: Yes, we are beginning to very limited. Most of us are young Editorial Note: In the past eighteen challenges that lay ahead. to stopping the illegal trade in countries? experience public support. And people and work voluntarily. We months, FLIGHT has rescued more birds. this is growing. Some members are dealing with an industry that than 20,000 birds. Since the Biophilic Cities (BC): Can you MG: In Indonesia, the illegal of the public have provided has strong connections with interview, Lampung Quarantine explain how you became BC: What are the main goals of trafficking in birds is a huge information, support and even money, corrupt officers and other authorities, assisted by FLIGHT, interested in bird conservation FLIGHT? threat. For Javanese people, funds for us. resources. We encounter many stopped the smuggling of hundreds and how and why you formed the the largest tribe in Indonesia, threats because we are perceived of birds from West Sumatera to non-profit FLIGHT? MG: We want to stop the trade in raising birds as pets is a culture. BC: Can you talk about the as interfering with these business Jakarta at Bakaheuni Port on wild birds, both legal and illegal. Therefore, the demand for birds importance birdlife in cities and interests. October 1, 2019. All of those birds Marison Guciano (MG): Previously, We believe that birds belong in to supply markets in Java is villages in Indonesia? have been released into the wild. I was involved in general issues the wild, not in cages. Wild birds very large. The results of our BC: Are you optimistic that you regarding animal welfare and that are traded and kept as pets investigation state that at least MG: Yes. We also provide can stop or significantly curtail Resources wildlife trade. I also campaigned do not have any quality of life. 10,000 birds per week were sent educational programs for the the illegal trafficking of birds? to close the wildlife markets. They are locked in small and illegally from Sumatra to Java. younger generation in schools. FLIGHT. http:// While focusing on the issue of barren cages just so that we can We are donating books related MG: Yes, we are optimistic. For flightprotectingbirds.org. wildlife trade, I saw very few listen to them sing. FLIGHT was formed as a direct to bird preservation and their now, at least, we have managed organizations targeting the response to the massive scale of habitat. We want our younger to disrupt the smuggling of birds illegal bird trade, especially that I realized that efforts to stop the songbird trade in Indonesia, most generation to grow up with from Sumatra to Java as a result in songbirds. In fact, there is bird trade will be a long battle. of which involves the trapping of strong awareness of the of seizures carried out by the

50 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 51 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / RESEARCH twenty years of publication, theoretical orientations: those Weeds the five journals - Journal of the viewing nature as a thing that American Planning Association, benefits or harms humans and My “Regulating Weeds” chapter Urban Studies, Environment and those viewing nature as plural, (titled “Weeding Washington” in a Planning A, Journal of Urban complex, intertwined and co- forthcoming article in the Journal Affairs and Journal of Planning produced by humans. of Planning History), examines Education and Research - had some of these themes through surprisingly few references to While a variety of urban natures a case study of planning and nature. Interestingly, significantly are evident in recent planning regulatory actions in Washington, more book reviews than original scholarship, the voices are few D.C. at the turn of the twentieth articles in the planning journals and the volume of discussion century. Discourses fomented in use the term “nature.” This might is quite low. This translates the 1890s about weeds being a suggest either that those writing into very little planning-led menace to public health, public about “nature” as it pertains to discourse about urban nature safety, and aesthetic appeal of planning may seek to publish in contemporary academic the city. Residents throughout the these types of works outside of planning journals, which is city, presumably many of them academic journals or that the problematic given the ubiquity wealthy property owners, as well journal missions, publication and importance of nature-related as journalists and lawmakers, tendencies, and/or submission discussion and action about collectively constructed political guidelines do not allow for these natures, both theoretically and and popular discourse that Photo Credit: bookfinch types of inquiry. I used NVivo Pro materially. Planners and planning attempted to establish weeds for Windows to code and analyze scholars are uniquely positioned as threatening human health, each reference to “nature” in to influence work happening endangering public safety, and De-Regulating Wildness articles discussing urban nature on the ground in cities, and marring the aesthetic integrity By Julia Triman specifically, and after several therefore deeper engagement of the city and by extension the rounds of coding determined six with a variety of natures nation as a whole. Weeds, weedy I came to the University of outdoors, plants, and animals. specifically by humans in the meta-themes (see Diagram 1). has the potential to deepen lots, and absentee property Virginia to work with Professor Nature was beautiful, something image of what humans want to These meta-themes collectively and strengthen urban and owners throughout the city were Tim Beatley on his Biophilic apart from human-constructed see and enjoy. There are other organize into two distinct environmental planning practice. villainized as disrupting attempts Cities Project. I was so inspired “things.” But after several years nonhuman participants in city by his research, his writing, his spent studying urban and life – plants and animals – that message of finding ways to environmental planning and exist within and beyond human connect people and nature in landscape architecture, I became attempts to control and enforce cities. What I have learned during entangled in questions about order and regularity in cities. My my time at UVa has surpassed the nature of nature, specifically research explores the tensions even what I might have hoped – through the lens of urban weeds: between human attempts to and surprised me in unexpected if they are not “nature,” what are define, delineate, and control the ways. I recently completed they? What is “nature”: where meaning and material of “nature” my dissertation under Tim’s does it start, where does it end? on the ground in cities, and the direction, “Regulating Wildness: Is it even a useful term at all? flourishing plant and animal life Planning Discourses of Weeds How are humans related to this that persists despite and because and Wildlife in Washington, idea of “nature” – are they truly of human activity. D.C.,” (available through the UVa something separate or is it one Library catalog) and the only big tangled web? Natures thing I am sure of about nature now is that it is impossible to Background To begin my dissertation, I simply define. Before I started examined the ways planning my work with Biophilic Cities, Often, the “nature” people scholars in five contemporary I thought I knew what “nature” think about and care about in planning journals used the Diagram 1: Julia Triman was: I love hiking, being cities is curated and tended word “nature.” In approximately

52 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 53 at order and basic sanitation and revealed fissures in utopic visions moral and ethical imperative cleanliness. In March of 1899, for the city, and persisted in to treat animals with respect “An Act to cause the removal of thwarting these visions despite and care. Though the 2010 Act weeds from lands in the city of legal and physical attempts to explicitly excluded commensal Washington, District of Columbia” eliminate them. rodents from protection, (The Weed Removal Act) passed misinformed elected officials with very little debate or Wildlife created a firestorm of political discussion by the United States banter about how the new law Congress. When the Act passed, My final case chapter jumps would cause District residents expectations were established ahead one hundred years to and officials to dump dead rats that “the weed problem” would another series of discourses in nearby Maryland and Virginia. be solved, and that people about the status and presence The law itself and the intense would no longer need to tangle of animals in the District of debate, both informed and not, with weedy unwanted plants Columbia. Environmental that it inspired speak to the throughout the city. discourse and public expectation level of fear people have for for “nature” and “wildness” to be heterotopic animals sharing city In the ensuing years, however, the kept either in a designated place space and the need to continually Health Officer of the District of or outside the city altogether work with urban animals who are Columbia made a very convincing continued throughout the part of city life whether part of case that weeds actually did twentieth century and is reflected grand visions for orderly “nature” not pose any sort of health risk clearly in the discourse around or not. to District residents, and that Washington’s wildlife regulatory the Act should be repealed and planning activity in the The 2015 Wildlife Action Plan, or overturned entirely due to 2010s. The particular mix of simultaneously narrow in scope lack of risk and impossibility both a municipal-level Wildlife and broad in reach as a part of enforcement. Attempts to Protection Act along with being of a Federally mandated plan achieve a “weed-free” city were the only city to have a State at the state level, but with impossible, not just because Wildlife Action Plan for an urban implications nationally and of the plants’ abundance and context makes Washington an globally, similarly incited a great superior ability to reproduce and extremely unique and interesting deal of angst about the status of occupy greater and greater space, case with comparatively a great animals as nonhuman members but also because of the largely deal of recent discourse related of city, with a strong emphasis unacknowledged relationship to urban animals. on maintaining and promoting between human activity and separate “nature” spaces apart material and the plants’ success The city’s controversial 2010 from “developed” areas in the and livelihood. The Weed Wildlife Protection Act attempted city. The Wildlife Action Plan Removal Act reflected the legacy to establish basic rights for is perhaps the most explicit of of colonial ideals and visions humane treatment for “nuisance all examples herein, in which of a perfect, utopic place free wildlife” in the city, and raised environmental discourse aligned of visual and material evidence and incited a great deal of with dualistic visions of how of messiness and anything discussion and argument about humans and “nature” do and antithetical to either orderly the status of various types of should operate. These dualistic “nature” in the form of planted animals as welcome or not in visions are abundantly clear trees and gardens or “wild” the city. Pest control operators and reiterated throughout the places. Weedy plants offered an argued that the new law would plan via the selection criteria for opportunity for people to express make their businesses more species of greatest conservation a vision for taste, simplicity, expensive, while those affiliated need, the commentary about and order by providing material with the Humane Society of the “precious natural areas,” and Diagram 2: Julia Triman, Sarah Pate, antithetical to those ideals: United States and other similar the visual material including and Maddie Hoagland-Hanson the weeds of the time period organizations argued for the maps that establish “nature” as a

54 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 55 special and very small part of the humans. I propose that future started this academic journey? Cronon, W. (1995). The trouble with Resituating the ecological paradigm ecology, and urban wastelands. Annals of city that must be protected. plans and planners might What are the implications of wilderness; or, getting back to the in postindustrial Detroit. International the Association of American Geographers expand definitions of “nature,” deep fundamental questions wrong nature. In Uncommon Ground: Journal of Urban and Regional 103 (6): 1301–16. https://doi.org/10.10 Toward Reinventing Nature, edited by Research 42(5): 807–27. https://doi. 80/00045608.2013.832105. However, the discourse around or abandon them entirely in about the nature of nature – William Cronon, 69–90. New York: W.W. org/10.1111/1468-2427.12627. the Plan reveals a much more favor of new terms. A plan for what am I suggesting about Norton & Company. Hinchliffe, S., and S. Whatmore. complicated and interconnected the plant and animal life of a practice? At the end of the Edensor, T. (2005). Industrial ruins: Space, (2006). Living cities: Towards a relationship between humans city should consider holistically day, I don’t imagine my work Del Tredici, P. (2010). Spontaneous urban aesthetics and materiality. New York: politics of conviviality. Science as and animals not so easily all plants and animals living denigrating or refuting all vegetation: Reflections of change in Berg 3PL. Culture 15 (2): 123–38. https://doi. a globalized world. Nature and Culture org/10.1080/09505430600707988. resolved or planned for, one in in the city, not just those that of the amazing things being 5(3): 299–315. https://doi.org/10.3167/ Falck, Z. J. S. (2011). Weeds: An which the lives of animals such are beloved for their benefit to accomplished by urban and nc.2010.050305. environmental history of metropolitan Wolch, J. (1996). Zoöpolis. CNS 7 (2): as feral cats become a battle humans. Rather than focusing on environmental planners working America. First edition. Pittsburgh, Pa: 21–47. ground for larger arguments animal “protection,” for example, with “nature,” many of them Draus, P., and J. Roddy. (2018). University of Pittsburgh Press. about how to reconcile the planning efforts to support profiled in the pages of this Weeds, pheasants and wild dogs: Gandy, M. 2013. Marginalia: Aesthetics, value of individual animals’ lives. animal life in cities might journal and in previous issues. Designation as “wildlife” is a best be focused on mitigating I think ultimately, what I hope proxy for animals that are loved human impacts and recognizing I have accomplished for myself by humans, and environmental and realizing the potential for and anyone who cares to read discourses surrounding the 2010 animals to co-create material and what I have written is deeper Act and the Plan are couched social aspects of what a city is questioning, a more expansive in socially constructed and and can become. view of what “nature” is and could culturally specific language be, and a much more critical that is not “common sense” but My exploration of the natures in and less simplistic stance on the rather adopts a very particular planning discourse demonstrates value and promise of “nature” – positionality in which some the need to plan for urban not one that negates possibility animals, particularly those rare plants and animals in relational and promise of hopeful futures, and adorable to humans, “win” ways that acknowledge both but one that might re-imagine and others lose. This chapter the social construction of our intimate entanglement and of my dissertation questions “natures” and the immediacy relationship with plants and particular meanings of “wildlife” and importance of nonhuman animals of all sorts. under discussion in the District materiality as part of urban of Columbia in the 2000s and life. When “nature” is narrowly 2010s, and how vocabularies of conceived and inflexible, when Julia Triman is Director of Biophilic wildness influence the types of certain plants and animals are Research for Biophilic Cities and animals humans choose either prioritized over all others, and has recently completed her Ph.D. to protect or to eliminate from when planners and designers in the Constructed Environment at urban landscapes by means do not see themselves and their the University of Virginia School of of regulation, planning, and work as intimately connected and Architecture expenditure of funds. in relationship with the abundant and unplanned life that does De-regulating Wildness and could exist (as depicted Selected References: in Diagram 3), this seriously Each of these cases builds limits the potential for sensitive Alberti, M. (2015). Eco-evolutionary dynamics in an urbanizing planet. an argument in favor of de- growth, creativity, and flexible Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30(2), regulating wildness – of thinking that will create resilient 114–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. imagining current and future sites, cities and regions. tree.2014.11.007. cities as places where a variety of plant and animal life can Questioning Natures Beauregard, R. A. (2015). Planning Matter: Acting with things. Chicago: The flourish, not only species and University of Chicago Press. Diagram 3: Julia Triman, types of plants and animals Do I still “believe” in the nature Sarah Pate, and Maddie loved and admired by particular that I thought I knew before I Hoagland-Hanson

56 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 57 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / THE BOOKSHELF considerable as Harkness’s book him survive mental illness, and purpose and connection through attests. aided in his recovery from a participating in citizen science. 2013 breakdown. He suffers from And he experiments with staking The main point Harkness seeks obsessive compulsive disorder out what birders refer to as a to make is the critical role that (OCD) and generalized anxiety “patch”—a site or area of land birds can play in mental health disorder (GAD). He promises that that they return to frequently to and well-being. This is the the story will not be a sad story watch and record bird life. This message he wants to spread: and it isn’t. It is uplifting and practice, we learn, can be traced “One day I hope our doctors will hopeful: “It is a joyous journal,” he back to the famous naturalist be able to prescribe sessions of says early in the book, “charting Gilbert White, who wrote about birdwatching and I will continue how the discovery of bird- it in his important 1789 book, spreading my own wings to help watching transformed my life for The Natural History of Selborne. this happen.” Bird Therapy he the better.” For him the epiphany I like very much the idea of declares in his final chapter “is a came while on leave from work, adopting an urban “patch,” or an genuine thing now, and not just watching a circling buzzard. opportunity to observe change a concept.” Thanks to this book, Seeing that bird, Harkness writes, over time and to learn deeply we now have a first-hand account “represented freedom and it about the co-occupants, birds and a clarion call for seeing represented hope.” and otherwise, of a specific and the birds around us in new and Joe Harkness (2019). Bird particular place. beneficial ways. We have much Part birding travelog, part to do to stop the unraveling of Therapy. London. Unbound. the ecosystems that support bird Foreword by Chris Parkham. personal story of recovery, the The special qualities of birdsong book is a compelling and highly receive attention in numerous life (and human life) but now we Review By Tim Beatley readable account that makes a places in the book. He reviews have even more evidence of the strong case for the important the scientific evidence but also role they play in making our lives Author with Chris Packham role that birds and bird-watching conveys the deep personal sense more meaningful and healthy. Photo Credit: Birdtherapy.blog can play in maintaining mental of how these sounds and voices These are discouraging times well-being. Along with personal reach him. He describes the for birds and bird lovers. The narrative, Harkness reviews the song of a tree pipit in this way: release of the October 2019 Photo Credit: Benjamin Lambert scientific literature about the “It was a sound so sweet that it Resources Cornell Ornithology Lab’s positive impacts of birds and seemed to carry light into a dark groundbreaking study shows a birdsong. Along the way, the moment.” Gustave Axelson (Sept. 19, 2019). startling decline in the number Vanishing: More than 1 in 4 birds book provides “practical tips” for of birds that exist today—nearly has disappeared in the last 50 years. birding (which serve as dividers Without birds around us every a 30% decline, or an astounding Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https:// between chapters) and describes day, perhaps every hour, we all 3 billion fewer birds compared www.allaboutbirds.org/news/ what he has learned from suffer in some way, whether this to 1970. It is a shocking finding, vanishing-1-in-4-birds-gone. fellow birders through his own is clear to us or not. Harkness’s and stark evidence of the many online surveys and social media mental health challenges are profound ways our ecosystems John W. Fitzpatrick and Peter P. interactions. individual and serious, to be Marra (Sept. 19, 2019). The crisis are unraveling before us. As the sure, but there is no question for birds is a crisis for us all. New title of a recent op-ed written Harkness explores different ways that birds provide for us all York Times. https://www.nytimes. by two of the study’s authors to engage with his love of birds a natural cocktail of hope, com/2019/09/19/opinion/crisis- says, “The Crisis for Birds is a and finds some of the usual wonder, calmness; they provide birds-north-america.html. Crisis for All.” The realization that methods of mainstream birding moments of uplift and beauty, birds contribute immensely to Kenneth V. Rosenberg et al. (Oct. off-putting--such as twitching as important as anything else the quality of our lives is further 4, 2019). Decline of the North and list keeping (twitching is we might encounter in the city. demonstrated in Joe Harkness’s American avifauna. Science. the process by which birders These extensive and everyday new book Bird Therapy. Vol. 366. Issue 6461:120-124. track down and photograph mental health benefits of https://science.sciencemag.org/ notable species of birds found by birds are largely unrecognized Harkness’s personal story is content/366/6461/120. other birders). But he does find and certainly uncounted, but about how birds have helped 58 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2019 | 59 in citrus and had me sit on the counter to sell more Waterways and Dreamscapes produce. Once the rush hour finished, the sellers started By Lannah Marshall packing up their wares. A few bits were traded between the merchants, with Grandpa selling Reprinted with permission from A Flash of Silver the rise and fall of water and fish that were a small jar of saffron for a beautiful blue quilt. Green: Stories of the Nature of Cities (2019), a enjoying the ride. Grandma returned, grinning with empty cupboards collection of short stories from The Nature of Cities Below, through the clear base of the canal, I saw and a tin full of cash. examining the prompt: What are the stories of people and nature in cities in 2099? Learn more about the the fountain that I walked past to get to school I smiled. Mum got her quick thinking from collection here and about the next round of stories and, a few years later, would climb into to impress a somewhere, and while it was quiet, I started to being collected now. girl at college. wonder why she hadn’t brought me up here before. Grandma was waiting for us at the barge, and she Maybe it wasn’t as important as saving lives—that’s started opening shop as soon as we arrived, pulling what Mum did. Grandma and Grandpa were just merchants on a fancy canal. It had been a long summer, back in 2099. Grandpa up the walls of the narrow boat and hanging up I’d always thought we were just showing off our offered to take me off Mum’s hands while she did vegetables for display. Grandpa helped me over to The fish followed my finger as I dragged it along lovely clean water and neat engineering tricks. extra shifts in the OR. We stayed in his narrow boat his stall of spices, vegetables, and fruits of various the water, and I felt a pang of frustration, flanked Then it hit me. Sure, Grandma and Grandpa weren’t on the canal that ran through the city’s west side. shapes and sizes. Some I still struggle to name, but by two dreams. I could never forget the taste. surgeons, but there were different ways to save Grandpa called himself a merchant, but for me, Between the thin algae and the artificial pebbles lives. it was magic. I’d never had the chance to see the Each stall sold the weird and wonderful, from that lined the bottom, I counted fish, mostly bottom I knew what I was going to be. canals properly before. From the ground, they succulents to trinkets, to blankets and wines. Within feeders that Grandpa said were the best cleaners looked like free-flowing water streams that wove the hour, the place was so full of boats and barges up there. And I didn’t even have to wait to start. between buildings and underneath motorways. people walked from stall to stall with the same They shone rainbows down during the day and enthusiasm and balance I had on the ground, and if “What about that one?” I asked him as I caught glistened at night. it weren’t for the unsure, wobbling tourists, I would sight of a distressed fish. It was in the centre of the As an aspiring author, Lannah Marshall enjoys have forgotten where I was entirely. floating market—or rather, where the market had creating fantasy and science fiction that challenges Riding one didn’t destroy the magic quite like Mum been. The water so clear I could see the bright, red said it would. Instead, I felt like I’d been taken to a We sold bags of spices. I managed to sell the pessimistic predictions of the future. Inspired by plastic it was caught in. Before I could finish asking, the impacts of technology, as well as innovation different world. ugliest apple I’d ever seen, and Grandpa rewarded Grandpa was calling out to the other sellers as he me with a pick of pineberries. Umbrellas came influenced by nature, she hopes to write fiction that I saw forests atop skyscrapers, with willows that climbed aboard a kayak. Noise erupted, and a net portrays a greener, more optimistic future that offers bowed into the passing water. Bamboo, ivy, and out at midday, and the rain lasted mere minutes box was sent out to trap the fish. without relinquishing any of the heat. answers to our contemporary fears. ferns were strung across streets, well above the Grandpa went in and under, emerging with a denizens below. Grandma had disappeared for a time, travelling up small, struggling catfish. Assisted by the clothes “For the birds,” Grandpa told me as we travelled by. and down the canals, selling food to tourists on the merchant, he cut the plastic from the creature’s It wasn’t until later that evening when I saw the communal levels of hotels, apartments, and offices neck and released it back into the water. It swam murmur of starlings take flight that I understood. that looked on the waterways. away, looking giddy with relief. “For the insects,” Grandpa said with a wink. He’d “Curry later,” he said as he nudged me. “Hard work is “See this,” said Grandpa as he swam up to me, been watching me all day. I thought I’d have spent always rewarded.” waving the red plastic for all to see. “These used my whole day staring at the fish, but instead, I was “Will I work up here one day?” I asked. to be clear, and the whole world could turn a blind gawking at birds, drooping foliage from balconies, eye to them. That’s why they’re red now. No more and solar sails that powered the density below. “Sure!” He cleared fruit, but his eyes didn’t leave ‘out of sight, out of mind’ ignorance.” me. “You like it up here?” Grandpa took me to the floating market between He tore it up and threw it in a compost bin as I the Ingo Tech offices and the Marla Grand hotels. “It’s magic.” swallowed a lump that had risen in my throat. It felt like I was being scolded, but then I saw the We took a route called the Silicon Steps, locks in “Sure is.” the waterways that filled with water to lift us even belly of the canal and the city below. I’d never higher. At nine, I wasn’t very useful. Twelve steps in The umbrellas stayed up for the afternoon, with the wondered why the waterways were see-through. all, and by the third, I was sat in the boat, watching heat welcoming insects. Grandpa slathered me in

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