Nearby Nature
Years of research support that nearby nature, even in small amounts, can have a significant impact on our individual and community well-being. When we make room for nature and people, we are healthier, our stress levels go down, and our children learn better.
But rather than embracing nature, we’ve built our cities and towns to work against it – and ultimately ourselves. Nature offers a vital buffer against pollution and other environmental stressors – but often, the communities that are exposed to the highest levels of unhealthy conditions also have the lowest levels of access to nearby nature. Moreover, our buildings and pavements block and dirty the natural flow of rainwater into our creeks, rivers and ultimately Puget Sound.
City Habitats is a cross-sector coalition that is building a movement around increasing nature in cities and towns. We're using nature to solve big challenges in smart, innovative ways to support our human habitats and help Puget Sound communities thrive.
"Scale" of the Problem
Puget Sound is a place where land and water meet to create diverse communities, economies and an entrepreneurial spirit that draws people from all over the world. The quality of life here is being impacted by rapid growth and a changing climate.
Vision of a Healthy Urban Habitat
We thrive by integrating nature in cities in ways that clean water and air, accommodate growth, benefit underserved communities, promote physical and mental health and foster cohesion and economic competitiveness.
Vision of a Healthy Urban Habitat
We thrive by integrating nature in cities in ways that clean water and air, accommodate growth, benefit underserved communities, promote physical and mental health and foster cohesion and economic competitiveness.
The Collective Way to Get There
Our greatest successes come from bridging traditional divides, finding unlikely partners and supporting community-driven solutions to get things done.
