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A globe-spanning look at how to integrate nature into urban design – and create the wild cities of the future.
A connection to nature is vital to our well-being. The sound of birds, the smell of tree oils, the effects of natural sunlight. Studies have shown that patients who can observe a natural scene through a hospital window recover faster, and lockdown proved that when most other aspects of life fall away, nature still feels like a necessity, not a luxury.
But the majority of the world's population lives in some form of urban environment, and by 2050, two-thirds of humanity – nearly 7 billion people – are expected to live in towns and cities. As these cities expand, brick and concrete and metal, what do we do about our connection to the outdoors?
Wild Cities tells stories from pioneering cities around the world to imagine a hypothetical wild, truly nature-focused city. This book tours Tokyo, Singapore, Brazil, Nairobi, Sydney, Flagstaff, Helsinki, Berlin, Copenhagen, Lisbon, and Seattle.
Chris Fitch was born in Westminster, before spending his childhood in the tropical South Pacific rainforests of the Solomon Islands. After graduating from Royal Holloway University of London with a BA in Geography, he worked in a wide variety of media roles, including as a correspondent for Monocle 24 global radio. He later became a senior staff writer at Geographical (the official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society) reporting from some of the most remote parts of the planet, learning first-hand about the world's biggest problems, from climate change to species extinctions.
His first book, Atlas of Untamed Places, was published in 2017, and nominated for an Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award. In 2019, he began writing for international brands such as Lonely Planet and The Atlantic, as well as completing his third book, Subterranea, published in 2020. He has lived in a wide variety of countries, including New Zealand, South Korea, and Brazil, and is now based in Portugal.
PRAISE FOR CHRIS FITCH'S SUBTERRANEA
'An original and timely odyssey into our mysterious underworld ... Thrilling proof that science and imagination share the ground beneath our feet' Nicholas Crane, presenter of BBC2's Coast and Great British Journeys
'An incredible and evocative journey into the most exotic and unknown realms on the planet ... Here is a book that makes you stop and wonder at every page; a deeply engaging guided tour through an eerie world where mankind's old myths and legends seem to acquire a mesmerising reality' Sinclair McKay
'With evocative maps and stunning photography, Subterranea shows that the underground realm is just as captivating as the above-ground world around us' Daily Mail
'A great way to escape from the outside world by diving into the depths of another. 5 STARS *****' How It Works Magazine
