Research Urban Biodiversity - Climate Change
There is a simple recipe to increase biodiversity:
* surface waterbodies and equal distribution all over the city
* many large and old trees
* fruit trees and vegetable gardens
* no use of pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides ....artificial fertilizer
* parks with native trees and shrubs (not a lollipop design)
* no artificial lighting of parks and streets at night
But these ideas are often not implemented because:
* mosquito problem (dengue, malaria..)
* no knowledge - no interest in gardening - often look chaotic in nowadays citizen eye
* do not want to get 'dirty' hands* fruit trees causing trouble when birds are too noisy and dirtying the ground
* fruit trees are attracting unwanted insects (incl. bees, wasps...)
* old trees have an extensive root system which is a problem to infrastructure
* branches might fall and kill people
My point is: People's appreciation and understanding for real nature is missing! Mind is spoilt by to many 'manicured" green spaces in advertisements and commercialization of landscape architecture.... and most important: a sense of ownership is missing for mass housing and big apartments blocks.
Therefore we need a new generation of Landscape Architects who are trained as a social worker to work with the local community. Design and construction of outdoor space is a tool to revitalize neighborhoods.
The journey is its own reward.
