Biodiversity in Our Cities: The Case for Urban Nature | The New School

Cool panel discussion on the need for and importance of urban nature - we need green spaces in our cities, from The New School in New York City and their environmental studies department. There is substantial evidence that people are healthier both physically and psychologically the more they are exposed to nature and green spaces.

Biodiversity in Our Cities: The Case for Urban Nature

Did you know that there is nature in New York City? The five boroughs are rich with forests, marshes, and meadows -- more nature than any other city in North America. Yet these natural resources are threatened by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation - the same factors that threaten biodiversity everywhere. In fact, about one-third of the native flora and fauna in the United States faces extinction. In our urbanized world, the idea of cities as "concrete jungles" is inaccurate and only further alienates people from the natural world. Conserving and maintaining the ecosystems on which cities depend is essential to the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of their citizens.

Tishman Environment and Design Center
This panel will discuss the status of urban ecology in regional policies and national trends and will examine how cities can develop comprehensive, collaborative, and proactive strategies for biodiversity conservation, management and restoration through government policies, public education, grassroots initiatives, business strategies and living systems design.

Part One:


Part Two:

Tags: Biodiversity in Our Cities, The Case for Urban Nature, The New School, Urban Center, City, Cities, Ecology, nature, environment, urban space, biodiversity, Environmentalism, New York City, Habitat Loss, ecosystem, policy, restoration, government policies, public education, grassroots, garden, green, flowers, gardens, gardening analysis inspirational health politics environment commentary educational college discussion