Biophilic Cities: Putting the Vision into Practice
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 907
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biophilic cities; cities and nature; environmental planning and policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
A new model of cities is emerging that puts nature at the center of urban planning and design. This vision of urban living is one that argues that nature must be nearby, in the urban neighborhoods where residents live and work. In this vision of future cities contact with nature is not something optional, but absolutely essential to leading a happy, healthy and meaningful life. It builds on the essential insight of Biophilia and a growing recognition of the many benefits (e.g., physical and mental health) provided by contact with nature, demonstrated by a compelling and growing body of research in environmental psychology, public health, and landscape and urban planning. The vision of a biophilic city is one where residents are immersed in nature, and enjoy and experience the natural work daily if not hourly. It is also increasingly true that cities will need to respond and adapt to the significant impacts of climate change, including urban heat, drought, flooding and extreme weather, among others, and that nature-based and biophilic solutions are often the most effective design and planning solutions.
While we have increasing clarity about what a biophilic city looks and feels like, putting this vision into practice remains a challenge. It will require creative work at multiple scales, including biophilic buildings and projects, landscape designs, and city-wide programs and initiatives that help to make a city more biophilic and natural. It will require interdisciplinary collaboration and new tools for managing growth and development in these green cities.
In this Special Issue, we invite scholars to contribute with articles, concept papers and reviews that help expand the existing research on biophilia and biophilic cities ant that touch uppon the following subjects:
- Evaluation of promising biophilic tools, strategies, design ideas;
- Review and critique of innovative approaches undertaken in specific cities around the world;
- An examination of the benefits and costs of specific biophilic tools, strategies and approaches and/or discussion of the special obstacles faced (political, economic, social) in implementing the Biophilic City vision;
- Case studies of innovative buildings, projects, city programs or initiatives;
- Research showing how Biophilic Cities and Biophilic Urbanism can be used to respond to climate change (and other pressing global challenges);
- Articles that examine the history and theory of biophilic design and planning.
Prof. Dr. Timothy Beatley
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Biophilic Cities
- Biophilic Design
- Natural Cities/Nature-Rich Cities
- Nature-Based Solutions
- Ecological/ Green Infrastructure
- Urban Ecosystems
- Urban Biodiversity Conservation
- Environmental psychology
- Public health
- Re-Wilding Cities
- Urban Wildness
- Living Buildings and Architecture
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