As cities expand and densify, there is a need to design places that connect people to nature. If we are not careful, our daily journeys and experiences in cities will become little more than glass, steel, and concrete. This article articulates the need for biophilic interventions in urban places, offers great examples found in NYC, and suggests easy solutions you can take now to help.
Biophilia is the innate biological connection humans have with nature. It helps explain why crackling fires and crashing waves captivate us; why the sight of a park can enhance our creativity; why shadows and heights inspire awe and fear; and why companionship with animals and walks in parks have restorative and healing effects.
Urban Acupuncture is a socio-environmental theory that combines contemporary urban design with traditional Chinese acupuncture, using small-scale interventions to transform the broader urban context. Just as the practice of acupuncture is intended to relieve stress in the human body, the goal of urban acupuncture is to relieve stress in the built environment. Urban acupuncture is intended to produce small-scale but socially catalytic interventions in urban settings. No needles required.
Biophilic Urban Acupuncture (BUA) is the theory that threads and knots of biophilic interventions in specific urban places can help improve people’s moods, connect people to the place, and help improve mental health. Biophilic urban acupuncture combines two very important design concepts: biophilia and urban acupuncture.
BUA is more effective in dense cities than in suburban areas because of the ease of pedestrian mobility. A resident living in a dense city will spend at least some time each day outside because they will walk to public transportation, walk to work, or walk to get food. While BUA is likely needed in suburban areas, the car-centric street design and large land uses typically do not produce high-quality biophilic opportunities.
Examples of BUA
FOUNTAINS AND WATER FEATURES IN NYC
Spaces with good Water Presence feel inviting and inviting. Fluidity, sound, lighting, proximity, and accessibility each contribute to whether a space is stimulating, calming, or both.
In urban environments, there are two ways to leverage the multisensory attributes of water to enhance the experience of a place. First, simulated or constructed water features (water walls, fountains, or waterfalls; aquariums; water imagery) in the built environment—indoors and outdoors—create positive effects for occupants, although it’s worth noting that water- and energy-intensive installations can create other problems. Second, natural water features (lakes and ponds; rivers, streams, and streams; rainfall; arroyos) can be amplified to help occupants become more aware of their surroundings.
TREES IN NYC
Spaces with good Visual Connection to Nature feel whole; they draw one’s attention and can be stimulating or calming. They can convey a sense of time, weather, and other living things.
MillionTrees NYC is a citywide public-private program that has planted one million new trees across the city’s five boroughs over the past decade. In addition to its many ecological benefits, New York City’s enhanced urban forest has been shown to help residents reduce stress and improve self-esteem, mood, and parasympathetic activity.
PopUp Forest: Times Square replicates the pop-up restaurant experience by transforming Times Square’s public plaza into a large-scale, temporary urban forest installation. The goal is to foster a movement to redefine the city with nature in mind and create an urban oasis for wildlife while helping New Yorkers better experience the natural world.
BIOMORPHIC UNDERGROUND ART
Biomorphic Forms & Patterns are symbolic references to the contoured, patterned, textured, or numerical arrangements that persist in nature. Spaces with good Biomorphic Forms & Patterns feel inviting and comfortable, perhaps alluring, contemplative, or even absorbing.
Biomorphic subway art illustrates how this concept has been applied in New York City subway stations. The hallway between 42nd Street and 5th Avenue includes artistic depictions of natural systems such as tree roots and animal burrows, and the Jay Street/Metro Tech Station features glass mosaic art with a variety of animal species, including starlings, sparrows, lionfish, parrots, tiger beetles, and koi fish.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TIDAL WETLANDS
Spaces that are well-connected to Natural Systems evoke a connection to the greater whole, making one aware of the seasons and cycles of life. The experience is often calming, nostalgic, profound or enlightening, and often anticipated.
The recently expanded tidal wetlands in Brooklyn Bridge Park offer a prime example of connecting the urban landscape to local ecosystems. The wetlands raise awareness of the East River’s natural beauty and can improve environmental stewardship in the Park and surrounding areas.
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