The symbiotic city

Urgency asks us to transform our cities and re-embed them into soil, water and living organisms to safeguard our planet's resources and restore biodiversity. This book introduces the symbiotic city: a future urban landscape that creates beneficial relationships between humans and nature. The symbiotic city is a narrative of hope, that re-creates biodiversity and promotes social equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.

The chapters introduce cities that are already evolving to becoming more symbiotic. The cities and metropolitan areas described in this book show initiatives that invite the voices of nature to re-enter the urban realm. The cases advocate diverse values of nature, such as nature-based solutions, personal and communal values of nature and the intrinsic rights of nature.

They give the reader insights in epistemological, governance, and action-oriented solutions to work towards the symbiotic city. The book provides strategic and practical guidelines for urbanites from any background. We welcome our readers to actively join the exciting journey toward future cities and metropolitan areas where all voices are heard, human and non-human.