Biophilic Cities

A Biophilic City is defined as cities that contain abundant nature; they are cities that care about, seek to protect, restore and grow this nature, and that strive to foster deep connections and daily contact with the natural world. Nature is not something optional, but absolutely essential to living a happy, healthy and meaningful life; these cities put nature at the heart of their decision making http://biophiliccities.org/

A pre-conference symposium ‘Trees, People and the Built Environment II’ Conference, in celebration of Birmingham becoming the UK’s First Biophilic City this wide ranging discussion seeks to understand the benefits to the individual, the health services and urban forestry.

Speakers include:-

• Dr William Bird, (MBE) a general practitioner in Reading, Berkshire, England. He has set up schemes to encourage people in the United Kingdom to exercise in order to promote good health, and he was awarded an MBE for his contributions to health and physical activity in the Queen's New Year Honours 2010.
  Talk: Trees, People and the Built Environment

• Professor Timothy Beatley, is an internationally recognized sustainable city researcher and author. His writings have focused on creative strategies cities can use to reduce their ecological footprints and become more livable and equitable places in the process. Beatley was instrumental in launching the new global network of Biophilic Cities, in October 2013.
  Talk: Biophilic Cities

• Professor Jean V. McHale Professor of Health Care Law Birmingham Law School. Jean McHale researches and writes in the area of Health Care law. She has written several key works in the field and participated on several external policy committees. She is the Director of the Centre for Health Law, Science & Policy at Birmingham Law School and is one of the academic directors of the University of Birmingham Policy Commission, Healthy Ageing in the 21st Century.
  Talk: Healthy ageing in the 21st century: the best is yet to come?

• Professor Miles Tight Professor of Transport, Energy and Environment, The University of Birmingham  School of Civil Engineering.  Miles Tight has been actively researching safety, equity and sustainability of travel for over 20 years with a particular emphasis recently on sustainability of transport. Most recently his research interests focus on walking and cycling, the nature of long term and large scale change in transport systems and the future design and form of sustainable urban areas.
  Talk: Can long term visions for sustainable urban transport contribute?

There will be an opportunity for questions and networking at a drinks reception following the symposium.

The symposium will explore these issues with an invited audience drawn from right across Birmingham’s civil society. The event is free but registration is essential.