This is the second contribution in our series 'On the Road to Future Green City' in which we explore the ingredients we need for a green city with a future. This in the run-up to the Future Green City world congress, Utrecht 23-26 September 2024.
The Symbiotic City
The voice of nature is loudly heard. The consequences of our devastating impact on biodiversity and climate are all around us. We need a positive vision of the future, beyond the many doomsday scenarios of disappearing species, flooded coastal areas and excessive heat stress in summer. The solution to these problems lies in the Symbiotic City: nature should return to the city and be part of it as a matter of course.
Living in a symbiotic city is nothing like living in cities as we know them in 2022. Now cities are areas where the ground is densely paved, where buildings of glass and concrete retain heat, and where the ground is invisible and used for cables and pipes. We can also live in a city where birds, insects, mammals, and plants partner with the people who live there. There is actual nature that attracts insects, birds, and mammals. At the same time, greenery makes people feel better and healthier in that city.
Read more about the basic principles of a Symbiotic City and where to start...
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Chris Champion
Secretary-General
International Federation of Municipal Engineering
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