Nature-First Cities, written by Herb Hammond, Sean Markey and Cam Brewer, is a guide to building urban ecosystems
"The idea that we're separate from nature underpins many of the mistakes we've made that have led to ecological catastrophes and human isolation and inequality and problems with cities," says Brewer, an environmental law professor at Simon Fraser University.
The book explores how cities have become ecological wastelands, and it outlines the psychological costs of living with minimal access to natural spaces. It offers strategies for the redesign of urban spaces in ways that integrate nature, proposing solutions beyond traditional greening efforts.
"We can change that by getting rid of impermeable surfaces," he said,"or reducing them drastically, and developing natural multi-layered vegetation in cities that disperse water and cool the city." In cities built for cars, people spend much of their time in them and are otherwise disconnected from nature, seasons and natural cycles.
The authors said the book marries these ideas with the need for density, which is important for addressing climate change. Both nature and density have to happen equally across the city, they said. He gave the example of the Still Creek watershed, one of the few remaining visible streams in Vancouver.
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