G REEN The biophilic design and architecture m o v e m e n t

is bringing n a t u r e to modern l i f e l i k e n e v e r
before and the benefits a r e e n o r m o u s .
by Gina Bazer

Studies show that a walk in the woods c a n improve mentalhealth,

naturalsunlight has healingpowers, and Views ofnature reduce employees7
requestsfor sick days. B u tfor manyAmericans, especially those who live
in urban centers, sometimes it feels like its easier to g e t a $5 latte than
commune with n a t u r e . E n t e r the growing biophilic m o v e m e n t . Made up of
architects, urban planners, environmentalists, wildlife scientists - really,
a n y interestg r o u p concerned with gettingpeople back to the earth its
n o t about recyclingor taking shorter showers, though a biophiliac certainly
wouldnt dismiss these efibrts. Its about changing modern livingso t h a t
interaction w i t h n a t u r e is no longer an e v e n t b u t a w a y of life. I t s r o o t
word, biophilia, refers to human beings innate needfor n a t u r e .

20 Subaru Drive Magazine Spring 2017

 NATURE IS NOT OPTIONAL; ITS ABSOLUTELY
ESSENTIAL. ITS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE
PART OF EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR, IF NOT EVERY
MINUTE OF PEOPLES LIVES, NOT SOMETHING YOU
JUST GET WHEN YOURE ON VACATION.
Timothy Beatley, author of Biophilic Cities and professor of sustainable
communities and urban planning at University of Virginia.

Several years ago, Timothy Beatley, professor
of sustainable communities and urban plan
ning at University of Virginia, was instrumental
in creating the Biophilic Cities Network, which
is based at UVA and serves as a hub of infor
mation sharing and mutual support for partner
cities around the world, all of which have
demonstrated an ongoing commitment, says
Beatley, to being more nature-forward."
So, what exactly does that mean? Were
seeing a city where youre immersed in nature,
where nature is all around you, he says. Its
not just that rooftop or side yard or that tree
in front of your house, but all those different
spaces that allow you to imagine your city as
a garden, as a park, as a forest. Melbourne,
Australia, is a good example of a city that is
adopting a fantastic new urban forestry plan.
Theyre not speaking in terms of trees in the
city; their vision is a city in a forest. Singapore
changed its official motto from A Garden City
to A City in a Garden, and that seems like a
small change, but its profound.
As lofty as his ideas may be, Beatley is
quick to point out that its not always grand
gestures, but a collection of small efforts by
likeminded people that make for a biophilic
city. Its a movement that celebrates con
nection with the natural world, he says, and
there are a lot of different organizations and
people working in that area, all framed by the
emerging research showing natures ability to
make us healthier and happier.

A. Gardens by the Bay nature park in Singapore B. Modern biophilic architecture design in Singapore
a n . . . ,
 The biophilic movement in the U.S. While
Singapore and Melbourne, along with Birmingham,
England; Wellington, Canada; and VitoriaGasteiz, the
capital of the Basque Country, are well ahead in their
movement toward biophilia, the trend in the U.S. is
just starting to take off in a variety of ways.
In San Francisco, the mayors office addressed the
challenge of naturedeprived neighborhoods through
a Pavement to Parks Program, which has led to the
creation of parklets, or small public plazas with seating
and landscaping features, throughout the city. In
Portland, Oregon, the city council has pioneered the
concept of green streets, which means that
about 1,400 streets in Portland now have curbs or
other sections carved out with rain gardens that collect
and treat storm water, while simultaneously serving as
spontaneous bursts of nature into dense urban settings.
In S t . Louis, theres an initiative called Milkweeds for
Monarchs, which has led to the planting of hundreds
of monarch butterfly gardens. In Milwaukee, the
brownfields of the Menomonee River Valley industrial
base have been converted into a bustling business
district with green architecture, restaurants and more
than 60 acres of trails and parks. And in Pittsburgh, the
most recent inductee into the Biophilic Cities Network,
Frick Park, a 644-acre municipal park, has just opened
the Frick Environmental Center, a nature education
hub. Interestingly, in the past few years, salon.com
has called both Milwaukee and Pittsburgh the new
Portland." In other words, biophilia is hip!

A. 3876 Noriega Street parklet in San Francisco (hosted by Devils Teeth Baking Company) B. Green street
rain garden in Portland C. Menomonee River Valley in Milwaukee D. Nature Boardwalk at Chicagos Lincoln
Park Zoo designed by Jeanne Gang E. Frick Environmental Center in Pittsburgh

22 Subaru Drive Magazine Spring 2017 v * .. ..

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