Convening for Action in British Columbia

NATURE-FIRST CITIES AND URBAN ECOSYSTEM-BASED PLANNING: “Nature belongs in cities, but how do we put nature first without pushing people aside? Nature-First Cities reveals the false dichotomy of that question by recognizing that people and nature are indivisible,” stated Sean Markey, Simon Fraser University professor and book co-author

February 18, 2025 - Posted in Convening for Action in Lower Mainland

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on February 18, 2025 featured a conversational interview with co-authors Dr. Sean Markey and Herb Hammond about their vision for Nature-First Cities.

The book is intended to inspire government and community-based action by illustrating how cities can co-exist with nature. To that end, the book introduces a guiding philosophy and methodology the authors have framed as Nature-Directed Stewardship.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY – Nature-First Cities: restoring relationships with ecosystems and with each other – a conversation with Sean Markey and Herb Hammond

The story behind the story is structured in three parts featuring Sean Markey and Herb Hammond, respectively. In Part One, Sean Markey recounts the origin story of how the book came about. In Part Two, Herb Hammond explains the natured-directed stewardship approach to restoration of urban ecosystems. In Part Three, the authors comment on the WHAT NEXT question.

Sean Markey’s research at Simon Fraser University concerns issues of local and regional economic development, rural and small-town development, and sustainable planning and infrastructure. He works with municipalities, non-profit organizations, Indigenous communities, and the business community.

Herb Hammond, a forest ecologist, founded the Silva Forest Foundation, a charitable society dedicated to research and education in ecosystem-based conservation planning. He has worked cooperatively with Indigenous Nations and rural communities to develop more than 25 ecosystem-based plans across Canada, and in Russia, the United States, and Indonesia.

PART ONE – The origin story as recounted by Sean Markey of how the book came about

“The origin story started about a decade ago when Cam Brewer and I worked on a report documenting the value of nature in cities,” states Sean Markey. “What are the costs associated with having cities that are not nature-based? What are the benefits if we invite nature back into our cities?”

“That was a fairly standard survey of the literature and report writing. But we met afterwards and the conversation quickly turned to what would it take to actually do this? What would a strategy look like?”

“And that led us into a conversation where we concluded that it would be pretty fascinating to work with Herb Hammond. So, we invited Herb down into an urban watershed for the purpose of exploring what happens when we apply the principles and practices of ecosystem-based conservation planning.”

Case study applications of ecosystem-based approach

“The book contains two case studies. Still Creek in the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby is intensely urban. Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island is on the urban-rural fringe. The difference between the two is the extent and amount of green space that is available to work with, and with different growth pressures.”

“In both cases, we are looking at watershed scale planning. Not just greening strategies. Not just creek restoration. But watershed-scale planning. Herb did the research and analysis to put together Nature-Directed Stewardship plans for both areas.”

An overview of the methodology and strategy for Nature-Directed Stewardship

“Nature-First Cities is not a heavy academic book. We wrote it to be inspirational…and we challenge readers to understand why we have become so disconnected from nature and what happens when we start to rebuild that connection.”

“What happens ecologically? What happens socially? Equity is a huge component of the book and one of the pillars around what makes nature-directed stewardship work. So, there is that broader picture around rehabilitating that sense of connectivity with people and nature in cities.”

“The other aspect of Nature-First Cities is the practicality….this is how you do that. We showcase the science and methodology that Herb developed for doing nature-based stewardship, and what it would look like in two jurisdictions.”

“We put together what we call a 3-part process of how you actually do this. First, protect existing fragments of natural or near-natural ecosystem character. Second, add new fragments and anchors of natural ecosystem character. Third, restore the natural water movement network.”

“Recognizing that cities are full of people, we also propose a three-part process for establishing an urban restoration network: involve senior levels of government, do the nature-directed stewardship research, and build a community hub to keep everyone committed to achieving all the cascading benefits,” concludes Sean Markey.

PART TWO – Restoration of urban ecosystems as explained by Herb Hammond

“When Sean Markey and Cam Brewer invited me to get involved in Nature-First Cities, it was a shock to walk into the Still Creek urban ecosystem. My first reaction was that the normal water movement network has been obliterated.”

Nature-Directed Stewardship is a planning system

“Our planning system, Nature-Directed Stewardship, relies on identifying a network of ecosystems that become ecological reserves. They are identified in multiple spatial scales.”

“So, at the largest scale you look at whole watersheds that are reserves. At the smallest scales, you look at fallen trees. Or biologically diverse areas.”

When a watershed is paved over!

“When we set about trying to identify that in cities, we thought we could link together enough of what is perceived by city planners oftentimes as green space – from things like corridors along streets to golf courses to parks to school grounds.”

“We very quickly realized that was not going to work. There is too much paved over land. Too many impermeable surfaces. That word impermeable kept hitting me in the head everywhere I looked. From the roofs of people’s houses to the streets to the sidewalks and beyond.”

Re-establish multiple layered canopies in watersheds

“We wanted to resurrect an understanding of the topography of the watershed that the city, or a portion of the city, was situated in. That included the picking what we called a focal watershed. Still Creek is one example of that.”

“And then, within that watershed, to look at sub-watersheds which are the tributaries to that watershed. By actually designing or RESURRECTING what that watershed would have looked like, we could overlay that watershed on top of the current development which would give us ways or locations to think about starting to re-establish that water movement network.”

“The methods we established ranged from things like looking at the natural character of the original ecosystem. What its natural composition, structure and function was like. And reintroducing that wherever we could.”

“One of the key aspects of that in cities like Burnaby and Vancouver is that the original character had a multiple layered canopy. And so water fell on the tallest trees and was then caught and transferred slowly into the system, giving the soil time to recharge even in the middle of a strong rainstorm, for example.”

Restore the natural water movement network

“The other key aspect was to get rid of impermeable surfaces to make the system more permeable; and whether that could be done along main streams like portions of Still Creek itself, including daylighting portions of it.”

“Another big thing was to look at things like green roofs for houses and buildings, and changing parking lots from asphalt to drain rock that cleans better than asphalt does.”

Reduce risk and save money

“In the world of climate change, there are big benefits to re-establishing the natural character, vegetation cover. The other thing that our research uncovered is how good natural ecosystems are for people’s health. Not only for people in middle age but most importantly for young people.”

“A connection to nature and being part of nature is not only a physical but an emotional and spiritual benefit to their health and wellbeing. The other thing we discovered was the economic benefits of doing this.”

“If we implemented the kinds of strategies necessary to build restoration networks, you could do an awful lot of restoration for $1 million per block! The economic benefits of what we are proposing are there.”

PART THREE – What Next?

“Where we hope this will go now is to decision-makers who will start implementing this nature-directed approach at different scales,” says Herb Hammond as he reflects on the what next question.

“The catalyst for that happening will be people taking the initiative to do work in their neighbourhoods and in their backyards and front yards, thereby setting examples for municipalities and dragging them into the process.”

“But I am optimistic that transition of involving municipalities could occur pretty quickly once people see examples and the benefits that come with that change to Nature-Directed Stewardship.”

**To delve into the details of Nature-Directed Stewardship, watch the video of Sean Markey**

To Learn More:

To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Nature-First Cities – restoring relationships with ecosystems and with each other.