As I embark on my second formal internship at Eco Effective Solutions, working on bigger, brighter projects and research I was given a couple books. One of these was Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning by Timothy Beatley. With such a huge interest in sustainable design but also healthy design (Healthy living, architecture and buildings) I didn’t realise before my internship experience how little I knew about designing sustainably and healthily. Biophilia and biophilic design, a new concept to me over 2021 is important for the future of architectural design, and urban design and planning which is the focus of Beatley’s 2011 book Biophilic Cities. Here are some notes and my take on the reading:

Beatley really emphasises and addresses the need for integrating nature into urban design and planning. This is especially important in the 21st century as there is now an alarming disconnect between humanity and nature, especially in young adults. He discusses a “test” he does with his university students about recognising native natural features such as a native butterfly and being able to identify the nature. Most students fail his task. Heck I would fail this task. Admittedly I know very little about our native species of fauna and flora here in Australia. Beatley recognises this abstract connection with nature to be related to the age of computer games, indoor living and diminished free time. At first glance this seems very blame the millennial but I can’t argue with him. I spend a significant amount of time indoors and have so little free time mostly due to the anxiety of “being productive”. This disconnect is actually need in Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods” which contributes the significant lack of connection with nature to the health concerns of our children and their children. But this phenomenon the humanity’s disconnect with our natural environment is the key reason as to why we need to revisit how we plan and design our cities and communities and Beatley proposes we do this through biophilic cities.

So what even is a biophilic city and to a further extent, biophilia? A biophilic city is a city abundant with nature and one that looks for opportunities to repair, restore and creatively insert nature wherever it can within the city. E. O. Wilson, Harvard myrmecologist (a branch of entomology focusing on the scientific study of ants) and conservationist popularlised the term ‘biophilia’ approximately 30 years ago in order to describe the extent humans are hard wired to need a connection with nature.

“Biophilia.. is the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms”

~ E. O. Wilson

To really understand why biophilic city design is needed you have to understand the “power of nature”. The natural environment is kind of amazing when you read the studies about it. Early, early research work shows the healing benefits of nature.

STUDY

Rodger Ulrich from the Texas A+M University studied the postoperative recovery of gallbladder patients comparing the recovery in hospital rooms with views of nature and trees to the recovery of plain walls.

The study found that while recovering with the nature views in their rooms, patients:

• Recovered more easily and quickly

• Had a shorter postoperative hospital stay

• Gave fewer negative evaluations of staff and hospital operations

• Received fewer moderate to strong analgesic doses

The results of Ulrich's study, along with other studies since, have helped shift the design of hospitals and medical facilities towards including healing gardens, natural daylight and other “green” facilities. Furthermore, the body of research that confirm the power of nature expands to nature’s capabilities in reducing stress, enhancing mood and improving cognitive skills and academic performance. Most interesting and surprising to me, however, is that there are now studies showing how nature can help in moderating effects of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms (although Beatley didn’t divulge into this enormously I plan to go through this in the near future out of interest).

Ultimately the research supports that biophilic design is the way of the future. Natural elements should be incorporated in everything around us…