The Natural City: Planning and Sustainability

Cities often feel like the opposite of nature—but in reality, they are ecosystems of their own. From coyotes roaming urban streets to rivers buried and revived beneath concrete, the “natural city” reveals how deeply urban life is entwined with the environment around it. In this episode, we explore how planners and thinkers—from Frederick Law Olmsted’s park systems to today’s sustainability advocates—have tried to reconcile city growth with ecological limits. By tracing the hidden metabolism of cities, from energy and water to waste and inequality, the story shows why urban sustainability is not just about planting trees, but about rethinking how cities consume, connect, and coexist with the natural systems that sustain them.Abbott, Carl, 'Nature in the city', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0007