Benefits of Biophilic Cities

To expand briefly on the idea of health benefits, it goes far beyond the usual reducing tension, a study in the Netherlands found that in a greener environment people reported fewer symptoms of ill-health and actually have better perceived general health, 10% more greenspace in a living environment led to a decrease in symptoms equivalent to a decreased age of five years.

 

Continuing on, biophilic design such as increased planting of green urban features, trees and green rooftops etc, serve to help address the urban heat island effect, and moderate/reduce urban heat, their presence also has been found to help significantly reduce air pollutants such as sulfer dioxide and particulates from exhausts.

 

Environments rich with nature and natural experience may help to strengthen commitments to sustainability in general but also for sustainable lifestyles of individuals and entire neighbourhoods through "nature-protective behaviors", i.e. taking steps to protect nature through encouraging an emotional infinity with nature.

 

Bizarrely, urban greenery actually makes us better people, participants exposed to nature were more likely to exhibit intrinsic aspirations (values based on worth, intimacy and community) compared to extrinsic aspirations (based on fame and money). People were also more likely to behave more generously when it came to a series of tasks distributing money. Its not known cleanly why but it is believed that the nature can bolster autonomy (i.e. freedom) by creating stimulating sensations. Essentially nature affords the individual a chance to follow their interests and reduce external pressures, fears and social expectations (Beatley, 2011).

 

Manifestations in Built Form

Carmona et al (2010) mentions that landscaping is previously an afterthought of design, something to be added after all the other decisions are made, filling in leftover space in a development, or concealing bits of a design that didn't work as intended.

 

Landscaping has four drivers in terms of design

• working on the land - art

• working with the land - ecology

• working through the land - society

• working for the land - sustainability

 

Landscaping of natural form should form an integral part of the design and masterplanning process of urban form, being conceived at the same time or even before the major design decisions are marked down taking considerations of broader and deeper ecological concerns such as closed natural systems involving hydrology, geology and considerations such as food chains, e.g. instead of relying on insecticides and pesticides incorporate actual animals that use those habitats to keep various species in balance. A cities green space should also constitute more than formal parks, grass strips and exotic landscaping but should incorporate wild or at least semi-wild nature in the form of forests, meadows, wetlands and importantly native vegetation

 

Furthermore, it should not just be viewed in terms of functional benefits such as health, sensory richness, the heat-island effect etc. (considerable as they are).

Nature should be a fundamental part of our lives as we need awe and wonder as part of our life, and nature easily has the potential to deliver this in spades, the potential to amaze us, to stimulate us and propel us forward to learn more about the world, of conservation, biology, zoology and ecology. The ideas of nurturing deep personal connections and visceral engagement in something far greater and larger than ourselves.

 

Northern Germany and Scandinavia are leading this attitude, Copenhagen has a regional "fingers" plan where development took place in lines, or "fingers" stretching out from the city centre along transport routes with greenery, urban forests and parks situated between them, Helsinki as similar green wedges thrusting greenery and biodiversity right into the heart of urban centres. Norway, especially Oslo is exemplary in this regard with over 90% of the cities population living within 400 metres of greenspace

 

Asia also has a number of examples of this, the Cheonggyecheon river in Seoul is a marvelous example replacing what was a highway running through the city and uncovering the river underneath has allowed a swathe of greenery and nature to enter the city, and has become one of the most visited public parks in the city.

The city of Singapore in another example has dedicated 40% of its land towards greenspace and urban agriculture.