Nature-First Cities
Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other

Cam Brewer (Author), Herb Hammond (Author), Sean Markey (Author), Faisal Moola (Foreword by), David Suzuki (Foreword by)

9780774868648

Paperback / softback, published 3 September 2024

258 pages, 57 colour photos, 5 illustrations, 1 map
22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.42 kg

"In Nature-First Cities, Cam Brewer, Herb Hammond, and Sean Markey… propose nature-directed stewardship as a way to repair ecosystems obliterated by urbanization."

Nature belongs in cities, but how do we put nature first without pushing people aside? Nature-First Cities reveals the false dichotomy of that question by recognizing that people and nature are indivisible. Western urbanization has meant the ongoing expulsion of nature, which is engendering biodiversity loss and inequality, thwarting economic potential, and affecting health. This volume instead applies the science and practice of nature-directed stewardship to cities. Tested through case studies, this methodology for urban ecosystem restoration is uniquely effective at revitalizing our strained cities. Nature is woven into networks, distributed equitably across neighbourhoods, and partnered with the urban density that is essential for addressing the climate crisis. Nature-First Cities offers a practical framework for urban planning that reinforces our place in nature both physically, by ensuring that cities are replete with biodiversity and intact ecosystems, and conceptually, by rebalancing our relationships with the planet and with one another

Introduction