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Can man-made structures be designed to work with Nature?

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Architecture is more than isolated structures, and cities are more than a sum of buildings connected by infrastructure built around the car. They are designed environments. And, they can be planned to be interconnected, efficient, and more human. Therefore as more people experience life in cities, it creates opportunities to provide the right balance between man-made structures and nature within smaller denser populated city boundaries.

© MetropolitanmomentuM
The way one may experience the city and its architecture is directly influenced by the chosen means of transportation. If the city and its architecture are designed around pedestrians, walking takes priority. Walking can be the most enjoyable experience one can have while moving through the city. Entire communities can appreciate its pedestrian friendly architecture, public art, streets, infrastructure, and parks more frequently. And, it all becomes part of their daily lives. This intimate experience with the city is followed by other means of transportation such as bicycling/skating, using public transit, and driving cars. Driving private motor vehicles is, in fact,  the most detached experience currently available. But, for many people driving is the most convenient way to get around or their only way to get around. 

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Each means of transportation comes with its own speed of travel and its own freedom of mobility. The slower one is able to travel while having the most freedom to move around the city, the most meaningful the experience is. Walking offers all of this. And in most cases, pedestrian friendly environments are a necessity in highly populated cities. Also, diverse environments are essential to people living in denser areas. They provide a multitude of activities and choices for people to enjoy. Consequently, cities having businesses at street level with accessible parks and open green areas become great places to live year-round. They provide the appropriate mix necessary to enjoy life in modern metropolises. And, parks are at the very heart of a well-balanced metropolis.

© MetropolitanmomentuM
Nature brings equilibrium in people’s lives. Thus, urban parks and urban gardens help to reconnect humans with our natural environment becoming vital to a good quality of life. They invigorate and stimulate the human body and mind. Moreover, parks allow for a multitude of activities in ways no other urban space can.

Ultimately, new and existing structures can be designed/redesigned for human needs while working symbiotically with nature. Advocating for buildings and infrastructure to be designed prioritizing humans while recognizing our innate relationship with our natural environment is fundamental. Thus, man-made structures designed from their conception to work symbiotically together with Nature is not only entirely possible, it is necessary.  

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