Cities and Environmentalism: Toward Reconciliation?

Résumé 0

Cities are not a common playground for people or associations dedicated to nature protection. In recent years, however, they have seemed to better consider the built environment in their objectives and actions. Pro Natura in Switzerland and the Campaign to Protect Rural England in the UK are examples of this new approach. Mainly based on the analysis of the Swiss organisation’s publications, this article focuses on the evolution of images associated with city-nature relations. The main hypothesis maintains that new urban strategies developed by environmentalists are linked to changes in their representation of city-nature relations. Traditionally, cities were seen as a threat to nature. Not only urban sprawl but also morality or aesthetic criteria were usually mobilised to support this claim. This antagonistic vision tends to turn into a dialectic one. First, it appears that nature can be embedded into the urban realm. Fauna and flora in cities are not just barely surviving relicts. They deserve an interest for their own sake, which can even justify issues linked to their preservation. Furthermore, it seems that nature within the urban realm contributes to city liveability. Secondly, one may claim that urban development and nature protection are deeply interrelated. Urban planning is a necessary condition for environmental protection. Compact cities, eco-friendly housing development and redevelopment sites are designated as proper places to live in while single dwelling settlements are denounced because of their contribution to urban sprawl. This article shows, however, that this new trend does not develop without tension. Anti-urban representations have not vanished. Rather, they are constantly being re-articulated by environmental groups, especially when it comes to defining the nature they would like to protect.