The Nature of (in) Cities

Several years ago an advertisement appeared in the real estate section of the Washington Post 1 promoting a new development: “The NICE THING about the city is that it eventually ENDS” (emphasis in original). The image juxtaposed sidewalks, a fire hydrant, and other essentially gray surfaces in the foreground (bad) with the bucolic images of forest and farm field in the distance (good). The implications were clear —if you want any meaningful ex posure to nature, quickly exit the city. Unfortunately, this reflects the popul ar attitude toward cities and nature.