Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability
Department of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna 1180, Austria
Academic Editor: Tan Yigitcanlar
Sustainability 2016, 8(3), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030254
Received: 18 December 2015 / Revised: 17 February 2016 / Accepted: 1 March 2016 / Published: 15 March 2016
The global climate change agenda proceeds at an incremental pace while the Earth is approaching critical tipping points in its development trajectory. Climate action at this pinnacle juncture needs to be greatly accelerated and rooted in the fundamentals of the problem—human beings’ disconnection from nature. This paper underscores the valuable role nature and nature-based solutions can play in addressing climate change at the city scale and its implications for broader sustainability. Urban ecosystems (nature in cities) are seen as an integral part of a proposed local climate action rubric wherein policy measures and integrated planning guide lowcarbon/impact development to create more resilient and sustainable urban environments. The use of green infrastructure is highlighted as a cost-effective means to contribute to mitigation and adaptation needs as well as to promote human wellbeing. The paper takes an exploratory view of the influence of ecosystem services, particularly cultural services, and its economics in relation to the individual and society to understand how biophilia can be nurtured to promote environmental stewardship and climate action.
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Keywords:
cities; climate change; nature; urban ecosystem services; green infrastructure; sustainability; behavior change; biophilia
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MDPI and ACS Style
Santiago Fink, H. Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability. Sustainability 2016, 8, 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030254
AMA Style
Santiago Fink H. Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability. Sustainability. 2016; 8(3):254. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030254
Chicago/Turabian StyleSantiago Fink, Helen. 2016. "Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability" Sustainability 8, no. 3: 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030254
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