The contribution of cities to local and planetary health - equity, ecosystem services and nature

Journal (whole)
, pages
20946_cover.pdf
Language:
English
Published: April 2022
Publisher(s):
Environment and Urbanization
Product code:20946X

This special issue examines the contributions that cities make to local and planetary health at a time when an ever-growing share of the world’s population primarily encounters nature within the city. Diverse case studies explore questions of what nature looks like in the city and who it is there to serve. These span a wide array of cities and biomes – from the lakes of Bengaluru, to the floodplains of Khon Kaen, the forests of Obafemi-Owode, the parks of Johannesburg, the orchards of Shenzhen and the wetlands of Kolkata – drawing out the intersections between social and environmental goals in the study of urban socio-ecological systems. 

Three 'Climate Change in Cities' papers explore primary literature on the impacts of flooding, extreme temperatures, droughts and storms on health in informal settlements; show the importance of patient, participatory, and people-centred approaches to disaster recovery in the urban centres of Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; and suggest how resilience research can advance rights and justice.

Two 'Feedback' papers explore the comparative effects of COVID-19 on urban settlements – the first in Patna and Bengaluru; the second in three neighbourhoods of Bueno Aires. A third 'Feedback' paper examines how strategies and mechanisms used in a programme in Rosario, Argentina can realise a multiscalar approach to citizen participation in planning.