Cities, technology, and ecology

My eighth column for Landscape Trades delves into reconnecting people with their environment through soundscapes.

My seventh column for Landscape Trades explores how satellite technology can prevent devastating wildfires.

My sixth column for Landscape Trades examines how a nature prescription app can shape healthier landscape designs.

My fifth column for Landscape Trades explores how we can map our proximity to and contact with nature — and why it matters.

My fourth column for Landscape Trades introduces @bowiethebirch, a tweeting tree that raises awareness on urban forest soil.

The S5E7 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

The S5E6 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

The S5E4 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

The S5E3 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

The S5E2 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

The S5E1 blog for the Internet of Nature Podcast offers an additional exploration of the episode's topics.

My third column for Landscape Trades explores trees who can tweet.

A new report by Uforest to help policy- and decision-makers develop local Urban Forestry Action Plans.

My second column for Landscape Trades explores using LiDAR 3D mobile mapping to protect old trees in cities.

My first column for Landscape Trades — Canada's premier horticultural trade publication since 1979 — explores the role of soil sensors in growing our urban forests.

While on site visit, I got the opportunity to see my work with SoilMania in action at Canada’s Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

We explored the diversity of species, genera and family in street tree inventories within — and across — eight cities internationally. We call it Diversitree.

In my new series, Talking Trees, I’m translating findings from my PhD dissertation, called the "Internet of Nature", into seedling-sized blogs. In Part 3, we discuss how we might listen to what trees are trying to say.

In my new series, Talking Trees, I’m translating findings from my PhD dissertation, called the "Internet of Nature", into seedling-sized blogs. In Part 2, we theorise what the trees might be trying to say.

In my new series, Talking Trees, I’m translating findings from my PhD dissertation, called the "Internet of Nature", into seedling-sized blogs. In Part 1, we examine if city trees talk to each other.

Ecological engineer Nadina Galle argues for a better balance between people and nature in cities. How? By applying modern technologies.

Digitizing nature. It sounds strange, but according to Nadina Galle, it offers a lot of benefits for both people and the green itself. “We think about nature in a traditional sense, but a city is a completely different ecosystem. People, animals and plants live together there intensively. That is not an original living environment and nature often loses out. I believe that a better balance can be found with new technologies.” How? Through data, a price tag and the soil.

Green City Watch is working at the intersection of geospatial data and artificial intelligence in a bid to streamline and optimise the way cities care for their green spaces. RESET spoke to co-founder Nadina Galle about their work and to find out how the technologies they're using could change our relationship to nature in the long term.

The coronavirus pandemic has had far-reaching effects on all aspects of society, many of which won’t be felt for years to come. For those living in cities during the height of lockdowns around the world, urban nature began to take on roles it hadn’t before (much like many other facets of urban life).

Editor’s Note: This piece was co-written by Nadina Galle (Green City Watch) and Jaclyn Youngblood (New Urban Mechanics), describing a grant-funded prototype from December 2019. After COVID-19 delays, both organizations are now co-publishing this piece, associated open datasets, and the open-source code library.

Whilst many think that deforestation happens only in the Amazonian jungle or deep into the heart of Borneo, our cities are facing tree loss at a massive and unprecedented rate.

The summer of 2019 can be summarized in one word: heatwaves. Historical records were broken globally, with countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, and the U.K. all experiencing their highest national temperature yet.

Last month, I talked to Fergal Byrne at the Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs Podcast to discuss how technology is changing the way cities interact with urban nature. What follows is excerpts of that conversation detailing my obsession with taking nature online and how this obsession turned into a new start-up which equips municipalities in their fight for urban wilderness.

Green City Watch is an Amsterdam-based geoAI firm combining ‘smart cities’ and ecology to shape today’s urban environment in a surprising new way. They call it ‘renaturing urban development’. We interviewed Nadina Galle, co-founder of Green City Watch, about their goal to use modern technology for nature.

Recently, I spoke on the Oslo Urban Arena stage to discuss the potential of urban metabolism and the evidence-based interventions we’re working on to accelerate circular cities. Here I describe why the concept is at the heart of Metabolic’s work and how it ultimately inspired our company’s name.

In her talk, Nadina introduces us to the “Internet of Nature”, a novel paradigm for sustainable cities which weaves biology with the modern world of technology, in a surprising new way.

Parks and other urban green spaces used to have two simple functions: to please the eye and to provide a place to relax. However, changing lifestyles, population growth, overcrowding and climate change call for a radically new approach to urban green space management. Today, parks and lakes are an important extension of urban life.

The ability to experience nature is paramount to human well-being. Cities are on a mission to green their urban landscapes, especially with over half of the world’s population living in cities.

If we let it, nature can be a powerful ally in tackling climate change. When applied to cities, an emerging concept called “nature-based solutions” (NbS) can boost resilience and help adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.

Islands have fascinated scientists for centuries as key hotspots of change. Now, economists are taking a keen interest in their role in accelerating the circular economy. This summer, Metabolic will collect data, visualise, map, and analyse all resource flows on the Dutch Wadden Island of Vlieland.