The world’s population and land surface are already highly urbanized and will become more urban in the future. Cities are epicenters of human influence on the environment, and of environmental influences on human health and well-being. The urgent focus of the GreenerCities team is supporting urban transformations that promote thriving cities and a thriving environment.
Innovative Direction
The expanding physical footprint of US cities drives habitat loss and degradation, declines in water quality, and rising CO2 emissions. At the same time, many urban residents experience rising heat, reduced access to greenspace, longer commutes, and increasingly isolated social lives. The GreenerCities team promotes approaches to urban transformation that increase density, create more greenspace with better and more equitable access, and support vibrant communities and cultures. We follow a knowledge co-production model in collaboration with partner organizations and agencies.
Our Team
Our Goals
We aim to build the Duke RESTORE Greener Cities Team to be an interdisciplinary community partner to restore nature in Durham and beyond.
- Design concepts and vegetation palettes for urban greenspace projects
- Estimating habitat savings and impervious surface reductions from denser development in small towns
- Cataloging local urban re-design projects
Activities
The Duke RESTORE Greener Cities Team will unite innovative science, engineering, design, education, outreach, and partnerships to help transform urban restoration from concept to reality.
