Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature?
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The Handbook of Biophilic City Planning and Design offers practical advice and inspiration for ensuring nature in the city is more than infrastructureandmdash;that it also creates an emotional connection to the earth and promotes well-being among urban residents. Divided into six parts, the Handbook introduces key ideas about biophilic urbanism, highlights urban biophilic innovations in more than a dozen global cities, and concludes with lessons and resources for advancing urban biophilia.
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As the most comprehensive reference on the emerging field of biophilic urbanism, the Handbook is essential reading for students and practitioners looking to place nature at the core of their planning and design ideas.
Synopsis
What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like stormwater reduction, from a biophilic viewpoint, they also facilitate experiences that contribute to better physical and mental health: natural elements in play areas can lessen children's symptoms of ADHD, and adults who exercise in natural spaces can experience greater reductions in anxiety and blood pressure.
The Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design offers practical advice and inspiration for ensuring that nature in the city is more than infrastructure--that it also promotes well-being and creates an emotional connection to the earth among urban residents. Divided into six parts, the Handbook begins by introducing key ideas, literature, and theory about biophilic urbanism. Chapters highlight urban biophilic innovations in more than a dozen global cities. The final part concludes with lessons on how to advance an agenda for urban biophilia and an extensive list of resources.
As the most comprehensive reference on the emerging field of biophilic urbanism, the Handbook is essential reading for students and practitioners looking to place nature at the core of their planning and design ideas and encourage what preeminent biologist E.O. Wilson described as "the innate emotional connection of humans to all living things."
About the Author
Timothy Beatley is Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for over twenty-five years.and#160;His primary teaching and research interests are in environmental planning and policy, with special emphasis on coastal and natural hazards planning, environmental values and ethics, and biodiversity conservation. He has published extensively in these areas, including the following books: Ethical Land Use; Habitat Conservation Planning: Endangered Species and Urban Growth; Natural Hazard Mitigation; and An Introduction to Coastal Zone Management.and#160;In recent years much of his research and writing has been focused on the subject of sustainable communities, and creative strategies by which cities and towns can reduce their ecological footprints, while at the same time becoming more livable and equitable places. His books that explore these issues include Biophilic Cities, Resilient Cities, and Green Urbanism (Island Press).
Table of Contents
Part I. The Power and Promise of Biophilic Cities
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Chapter 1. The Power of Urban Nature:and#160; The Essential Benefits of a Biophilic Urbanism
Chapterand#160;2. Placing Biophilic Cities: Planning History, Theory and the New Sustainability
Chapterand#160;3. Urban Trends and Nature Trends:and#160; Can the Two Intersect?
Chapterand#160;4. Biophilic Cities: Examining the Metrics and Theory
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Part II. The Practice of Biophilic Urbanism:and#160; Cities Leading the Way
Chapterand#160;5. Singapore: City in a Garden
Chapterand#160;6. Wellington, NZ: Nature on the Edge
Chapterand#160;7. Milwaukee:and#160; Greening the Rust Belt
Chapterand#160;8.and#160; Birmingham: Health, Nature and Urban Regeneration
Chapterand#160;9.and#160; Phoenix: The Promise of Biophilia in the Desert
Chapterand#160;10. Portland: Nature in the Compact City
Chapterand#160;11. San Francisco: From Park City to Wild City
Chapterand#160;12. Oslo: The City of Forest and Fjord
Chapterand#160;13. Vitoria-Gasteiz
Chapterand#160;14. Global Survey of Cities: Shorter City Cases and Exemplars
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Part III. Exemplary Tools, Policy Practices
Chapterand#160;15. Detailed Profiles of Biophilic Design Tools Techniques, Design Ideas
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Part IV. Successes and Future Directions
Chapterand#160;16. Biophilic Cities in the Age of Climate Change: Mitigation, Resilience Through Nature
Chapterand#160;17. What Can Be Learned From the Best Biophilic Cities?
Chapterand#160;18. Key Obstacles to Biophilic Cities (And Ways To Overcome Them)
Chapterand#160;19. Conclusions and Future Directions