[Originally posted to Where] There is an interesting perspective on cities in a short essay by Matthew Gandy, titled “Urban Nature and the Ecological Imaginary.” In referring to urban nature, Gandy includes both concrete elements and abstract ideas. The ecological imaginary is an example of the latter, as in the use of scientific metaphors (such as organism and metabolism) to represent cities. This way of thinking seems to have gained momentum in response to industrialization, as urban areas were increasingly viewed as separate from and harmful to nature. Thus planners sought to reconnect cities with a natural ideal.

According to Gandy, urban space is produced through a nature-culture synthesis. In other words, cities take shape through our actions in combination with biophysical processes. Kevin Lynch found that “the quality of a place is due to the joint effect of the place and the society which occupies it” (Good City Form, p. 111). Gandy proposes a political approach that recognizes this co-evolutionary dynamic and moves away from the idea of cities as unnatural.

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This book was written by Keith Pezzoli, and has a forward by John Friedmann. I’ve heard really good things about it and am hoping to check it out soon.

The review mentions that residents of the Ajusco area, on the outskirts of Mexico City, fought relocation by proposing to create “productive ecology settlements.” I wonder what these are exactly? It’s interesting to consider the many different ways that the concept of environmental sustainability is used to influence policy.

Quoted from the book description at the MIT Press website: In many areas of the world, environmental degradation in and around human settlements is undermining prospects for both socioeconomic justice and ecological sustainability. To explore the issues involved in this worldwide problem, Keith Pezzoli focuses on a dramatic instance of conflict that grew out of the unauthorized penetration of human settlements into the Ajusco greenbelt zone, a vital part of Mexico City’s ecological reserve.

Andrew Revkin of the New York Times has posted a thoughtful commentary on cities and the “manufactured” environment. It includes an excerpt from the documentary “Manufactured Landscapes,” which explores the ways in which humans alter ecosystems and create new spaces.

Quoted from “Saved By Cities, if We Make Them Livable” on Dot Earth: Working to maintain the quality of city life will be ever more important in the next few decades, both in old established metropolises like New York City, and the explosively growing new cities of the developing world.

The Economist Guide to Mumbai provides a great historical overview of the city since the arrival of the Portuguese in the 1600s. It would be interesting to learn more about the area prior to the arrival of colonial powers.

Photo from The Economist Cities Guide Mumbai

Quoted: Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi returned to Bombay from South Africa in 1915, and made Mani Bhavan the base for some of the key points in his long campaign to end British rule. He made his “Quit India” call from the Gowalia Tank Maidan at the base of Malabar Hill in August 1942…

Globalis provides a visual mapping of data from the UN and other organizations on global ecological impacts and progress in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Quoted: Globalis is an interactive world atlas where you decide what is to be displayed on the map. Globalis aims to create an understanding for similarities and differences in human societies, as well as how we influence life on the planet.

The Information Exchange/Greenacre Reference Resource at the Municipal Art Society of New York looks like an outstanding collection of information on the urban environment, with a focus on New York City from the 1800s to today.

Photo appears on the Municipal Art Society site.

Quoted: Established in 1978 as The Information Exchange/Greenacre Reference Resource and affectionately dubbed TIE, the MAS reference library is a well-known and esteemed repository of materials on New York City’s built and natural environments. The heart of the library is an exceptional and ever-growing collection of several hundred thousand clippings culled from major city dailies as well as neighborhood weeklies, national periodicals, and local newsletters. Urban planning, historic preservation, buildings, public art, open spaces, real estate development, and zoning are among the general topics…