Thoughts on Reintegrating Urban Ecology

©Jennifer Dowdell

To quote urban planning expert Timothy Beatley, whom we interview in the 2013 Winter Solstice issue of Leaf Litter, “We are an urbanized world now.” According to the 2012 World Population Data Sheet, 51% of the world’s population—more than ever before–now lives in urban areas. In many urban communities, something else is starting to grow along with the population: a realization that nature’s ecological systems are the vital organs of a living, resilient city, and there is no life support system for humans if those vital organs fail. In Leaf Litter, we explored some of the ways in which cities are strengthening community health, vibrancy, and resilience by reintegrating ecology into the urban fabric.

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