Handbook of Biophilic City Planning and Design

Abstract

What if, even in heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like storm water reduction, from a biophilic viewpoint, they also facilitate experiences that contribute to better physical and mental health: natural elements in play areas can lessen children's symptoms of ADHD and adults who exercise in natural spaces can experience greater reductions in anxiety and blood pressure. The Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design offers practical advice and inspiration for ensuring nature in city is more than infrastructure, that it also creates an emotional connection to earth and promotes well-being among urban residents. Divided into six parts, Handbook begins by introducing key ideas, literature, and theory about biophilic urbanism; followed by chapters that highlight urban biophilic innovations in more than a dozen global cities; final part concludes with lessons on how to advance an agenda for urban biophilia and an extensive list of resources.As most comprehensive reference on emerging field of biophilic urbanism, Handbook is essential reading for students and practitioners looking to place nature at core of their planning and design ideas and encourage what pre-eminent biologist E. O. Wilson described as the innate emotional connection of humans to all living things.