|
|
Urban Greenprint
Through the lens of biomimicry and with Nature as our mentor, the Urban Greenprint identifies ways to strengthen ecological
systems in our urban centers. By understanding how Nature functioned in a location before urban development changed the balance, the Greenprint provides design guidelines and targets pilot projects that will positively impact a city’s ecological health and the wellbeing of its population. Innovative solutions will strengthen ecological functions, reduce infrastructure
cost, and add beauty and resilience to our cities.
The Seattle Urban Greenprint is underway. Fundamentally, the project is asking what Nature can teach us about this place. Research focuses on three primary areas – biodiversity, carbon, and water flows – understanding how these systems functioned in the region before urban development changed their balance, and then replicating these functions in the built environment. The goal is not to recreate the forest and wetlands that were here but to understand how our urban buildings and spaces can restore
the functions those earlier ecosystems provided. How can our
buildings and roads sequester carbon, how can we support biodiversity in the urban core, how can our structures manage rainfall as well as the coniferous forest?
Human health and wellbeing overlays every aspect of the project. In the long view, Mother Earth will be fine;
it is us who need the healing.
The Urban Greenprint is funded through the generosity of the Bullitt Foundation. The project is the brainchild of Jennifer Barnes and Alexandra Ramsden, Director of Sustainability at Rushing Company. For more information see project website: