Urban Habitats: Cities and Their Potential for Nature Protection

摘要: What can cities do to harbour and promote wildlife, to support nature conservation and environmental sustainability, and also to improve people’s relationship to nature, both by direct interventions and by education/communication? To answer this question a few main lines are followed and linked to each other. These include (1) natural history, (2) ecological aspects, (3) nature management, (4) attractiveness of nature and the affinity to nature, and (5) future perspectives. We reviewed publications relating to three broad scientific disciplines as applied in current urban ecology, namely: (1) natural sciences, (2) engineering/urban planning, and (3) social sciences. The relationship to nature including urban climate, urban biodiversity and land use, is important for the whole urban life including health. To improve that relationship, it is necessary to have the support of citizens for policies of …