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Green Urbanism: Cities Embracing Nature

Author

futurecapetown

Given that cities are growing at an unprecedented pace, while attempting to match this growth with developments and investments, where and how does nature fit into this frantic rush to build? Many tools have been developed to assist cities, but often leadership is weak and the interests of the private sector prevail. Co-existing with the natural environment, and in particular the natural and ecological environment of an urban area, only makes sense in terms of the long term resilience. Our recent #CityTalk aimed to tackle this and along the way we were exposed to some amazing case studies of cities embracing their natural heritage, and make it a part of their urban future.

KANSAS CITY

In the fall of 2008, DST Systems decided it wanted to do something special with a block of land located in downtown Kansas City's Crossroads District, at 18th and Broadway. The initial conversation started with the idea of creating a series of rain gardens in the spirit of Kansas City's 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative.

Read more: http://www.18broadway.com/food.html

BRIXTON, LONDON  

 

MONTREAL

 

SINGAPORE

Gardens by the Bay brings to life NParks' vision of creating a City in a Garden. The Gardens captures the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical Garden City with the perfect environment in which to live and work – making Singapore a leading global city of the 21st century. In January 2006, an international master plan design competition was launched to seek world-class design ideas for Gardens by the Bay. It drew more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms, from over 24 countries, including 35 from Singapore. An 11-member Jury comprising local and international experts shortlisted eight teams and two winners were announced in September 2006; namely Grant Associates for Bay South and Gustafson Porter for Bay East, both from the UK. A decision was made to develop Bay Central later.

PARIS

The Promenade plantée is a 4.7 km (2.9 mi) elevated linear park built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was inaugurated in 1993.

 

CAPE TOWN

The Oranjezicht City Farm is a community of adults and younger folk working together to engage in small-scale food production in the City Bowl of Cape Town.To improve under-utilised public green spaces by creating demonstration gardens for hands-on community-wide food gardening education, thereby increasing access to fresh vegetables.To improve under-utilised public green spaces by creating demonstration gardens for hands-on community-wide food gardening education, thereby increasing access to fresh vegetables.

Read more at:http://www.ozcf.co.za/about/

Source: OZCF


Also watch: The Nature of Cites at the MAS Summit 2013