Nature in Cities, Nurturing Cities

This book presents nature as the fundamental infrastructure for sustainable urban living rather than as an aesthetic afterthought in the face of cities' mounting problems, which range from biodiversity loss and climate change to public health disparities. The first section, Nature and Wellbeing, explores the critical relationship between human health and access to nature, providing evidence-based perspectives on the ways in which urban forests, green spaces, and landscapes rich in biodiversity support mental, physical, and social well-being. In addition to highlighting initiatives that bridge the green divide in marginalized groups and highlighting the pressing need for fair access to nature, it offers case studies that demonstrate how design and policy may incorporate nature as a fundamental factor in determining public health. Nature-based solutions (NBS) that protect urban populations from climate impacts and strengthen ecological integrity are highlighted in the second section, Nature and Climate Resilience. The book highlights nature as a proactive factor in climate resilience planning through examinations of coastal adaptation, wetland regeneration, and urban green infrastructure. It discusses the governance structures, ecosystem services, and policy frameworks that allow cities to strategically incorporate nature into their responses to environmental deterioration, flooding, and heat stress. The book explores how biophilic design, cultural narratives, and technology innovation come together to create urban settings where nature becomes essential to identity, function, and community in its last section, Nature-driven Placemaking. This section highlights how environment can inspire, connect, and economically empower people through everything from participatory planning techniques to imaginative depictions of urban wildlife. Altogether, Nature in Cities, Nurturing Cities presents a strong case for purposefully, inclusively, and resiliently integrating nature into the urban fabric.

Prof. Ali Cheshmehzangi is the head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning and a professor at The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia. He is among the top 25 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. He is the editor-in-chief of the Urban Sustainability Book Series with Springer Nature. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the academic and professional communities, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. So far, Ali has published over 500 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. He also has 40 academic books, three of which have received awards at the international, national, provincial, and municipal levels. He also has received international awards and recognition for his research on urban resilience studies and sustainability research, as well as a vice-chancellor’s award for his impactful contribution to higher education. 

Dr. Sara Alidoust is a senior lecturer in Planning at the School of Architecture, Design, and Planning at The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia.  Her research centres on the intersections of urban planning and public health, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and practical application. She delivers transdisciplinary solutions to some of the most compelling challenges of our time, 'housing vulnerability' and 'the health outcomes of citymaking'. Her work stands out through the application of systems thinking to complex planning issues and she explores the connections between planning and the physical, mental, and social health of individuals and communities. Her primary focus is on developing resilient cities, capable of maintaining their liveability over time, especially amidst disruptive events and shocks.

Prof. Wendy Chen received her Ph.D. degree in Physical Geography (in the field of urban forestry) from the University of Hong Kong, 2006; M.Sc. in Natural Resource and Sustainable Development from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 2001; and B.Sc. in Physical Geography from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 1992. Her research agenda has focused on key knowledge gaps in evaluating and modelling urban green-blue spaces (GBS) that are reserved, modified, and deployed in urban/peri-urban areas. She is amongst a small group of scholars who have begun to experiment and validate the utilisation of classical non-market approaches in China’s transitional context and facilitate the quantitative assessment of GBS’ contribution to the quality of life. An additional strand of her research is dedicated to investigating GBS dynamics, pertaining to how and why GBS as public environmental goods are physically transformed, economically incorporated, and socially mobilized.

Prof. Richard Fuller is a leading expert in urban ecology research. He is a professor at School of the Environment at the University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia. He works on pure and applied topics in biodiversity and conservation. Much of his work is interdisciplinary, focusing on the interactions between people and nature, how these can be enhanced, and how these relationships can be shaped to converge on coherent solutions to the biodiversity crisis. His current research topics include the ecology and conservation of migratory species, understanding what drives some people to show stronger environmental concern than others, and strategies for designing efficient conservation plans. He enjoys working closely with all his wonderful colleagues in the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.