The first and last chapter are a bit weaker, and I am not sure the 'Internet of Nature' concept works well or adds much to this book. That said, the meat of this book is well organized, has a lot to say, and is really interesting & worth reading. I hope this book and others like it will lead to more re-greening of our neighborhoods, and to our communities valuing our established trees and other in-town nature more.

This was a fantastic book! I loved how the author provided both the current impact and reality of climate change, and also talked with hope about what cities and people are doing to help manage the impact. I really liked how Galle not only talked about systemic changes and direct technological change applied, but also what individual people are doing and how they were inspired to address problems they've noticed in their areas. This is a great book for anyone who is anxious about climate change impact, wants to know more about what's being done and wants to be left with a feeling of hope at our future. 4.5/5

This was so interesting! The whole time I was reading it I was bringing it up to people because there were so many relevant topics, and it was so interesting to read about nature and technology. I think some of the chapters were a bit long, but I will definitely be recommending this!

Exactly the kind of well-researched, intelligent book we need right now on how technology is not a source of destruction, but could be part of our management of our natural resources.

Prior, I didn't think technology should or could play a role in how we manage our forests, rivers, etc, because, without us, they were doing just fine. However, after reading The Nature of our Cities, and recognizing that technology -and people alike - are necessary and could be a powerful tool in helping us fight climate change and build our cities in ways that benefit life.

This is the read we all need right now, and one that gives me hope about how we are stewards of our environment, and the very tools we need to save it are right at our fingertips.

Intelligent, powerful, and hopeful.

THE NATURE OF OUR CITIES by Nadina Galle is a book which educates by highlighting some very scary situations. For example, she notes that "in 2018, the European Union recorded 104,000 heat related deaths among older people, over one-third of the global total." In fact, she encourages her son "not to think about this day as the hottest it's been in the last 100 years but as one of the cooler July days that he and his children would experience in the next 100 years." Galle, a Dutch-Canadian ecological engineer, travels the world and describes actions being taken to help monitor water needs of trees in Groene Loper park in Maastricht, Netherlands, or measuring heat across neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon, plus many more locales and activities. Her emphasis, as the subtitle suggests, is on "Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet" as it faces threats from urban growth and climate change. She writes eloquently about current research and innovations, concluding that "tomorrow cities must rely on emerging technologies - and repurposed older ones - to build durable ecosystems," but lacks the ability to synthesize and point to specific action steps for her readers. Notes make up a little over fifteen percent of this text, but unfortunately, a list of resources and relevant organizations (like MIT's Senseable City Lab where she had a fellowship) or perhaps even commercial suppliers or government entities is missing.

Better health? Longer life expectancy? What is the answer? Trees. Green space. Spending time outdoors. I enjoyed the stories, statistics, and other information included in this text. I’m glad to see so many places understanding the importance of green space within the community.

I really enjoyed the content of this book and found it to be very informative. The intersection of nature and technology in cities is going to become increasingly more important in the face of our modern world. I did find this book a bit dry at times, but I often feel that way with most science based nonfiction reads. I wish the topics went into a bit more depth at times.