The Natural City: Reimaging Human Settlements
On September 25th, 2012 at the School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University, Dr. Stephen B. Scharper addressed three dimensions of the “Natural City”. First, the notion of the natural city underscores that cities are “natural” places, as much a part of nature as forests or prairies. Second, it suggests that cities deeply engage with nature, from the supplying of water to their citizens to greenhouse gas emissions to the growing of radishes in one’s backyard – cities represent a swirling, permanent, multi-dimensional intertwining with nature. Third, the natural city concept implies that the ecological future of the planet intimately tied to what we do in cities. Critical to this future is how we embrace cities as both natural places and places of nature.
