Skip to main content

The Choice

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Biophilic Cities for an Urban Century
  • 638 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter presents a case study of the Los Angeles River, from its ecological death through its partial rebirth. We live in a world filled with many places like the LA River. If we continue building cities like this, we risk condemning billions of people to suffer from the urban mental health penalty. But cities have a choice of taking another, more biophilic path. This chapter discusses in detail some challenges to the biophilic cities vision that must be addressed if the vision is to move forward in cities around the globe. We end by listing what readers of this book can do to help move their city toward a more biophilic future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Beatley, Timothy. 2017. Handbook of biophilic city planning & design. Washington, DC: Island Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • City of Los Angeles. 2007. Los Angeles River revitalization master plan. Los Angeles: Bureau of Engineering. http://boe.lacity.org/lariverrmp/.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowton, P. 2017. Half-Earth cities. The Nature of Cities. https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2017/12/26/half-earth-cities/.

  • Galle, N., S. Nitoslawski, and F. Pilla. 2019. The internet of nature: How taking nature online can shape urban ecosystems. The Anthropocene Review 6 (3): 279–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gandy, M. 2014. Tracing the LA River. In The fabric of space: Water, modernity, and the urban imagination, ed. M. Gandy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gumprecht, B. 2005. Who killed the L.A. River? In Land of sunshine: An environmental history of metropolitan Los Angeles, ed. W. Deverell and G. Hise. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R.I., T. Beatley, and T. Elmqvist. 2018. The green soul of the concrete jungle: The urban century, the urban psychological penalty, and the role of nature. Sustainable Earth 1 (1): 3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R.I., et al. 2020. Research gaps in knowledge of the impact of urban growth on biodiversity. Nature Sustainability 3: 16–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nowak, David J., and Eric J. Greenfield. 2018. Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 32: 32–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perini, K., and P. Sabbion. 2016. Urban sustainability and river restoration: Green and blue infrastructure. John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roraback, D. 1985. The L.A. River practices own trickle-down theory. Los Angeles Times.

    Google Scholar 

  • UN Habitat. 2016. Slum almanac 2015–2016: Tracking improvement in the lives of slum dwellers. Nairobi: Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme, UN Habitat.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNPD. 2018. World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision. New York: United Nations Population Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E.O. 2016. Half-earth: Our planet’s fight for life. New York: WW Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert McDonald .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

McDonald, R., Beatley, T. (2021). The Choice. In: Biophilic Cities for an Urban Century. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51665-9_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51665-9_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51664-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51665-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics