The Chimera Group．New Visions on Urbanism | Cities and Nature

Introduction

Chimera Reading Salon: New Perspectives of the City continues the spirit of The Chimera Group, a transdisciplinary arts society founded in the 1950s by Mr. Wang Dao, who often invited artists to meet in his home. The Chimera Group started from “architecture” and gradually expanded to performing arts, art, literature, photography, and commentary. Years of free and open cross-domain communication at Wang Daishi's home. With “City” at its core, the first series will invite Professor Wang Zhihong, Institute of Architecture and Urbanism, National Taiwan University, and special guests to explore new perspectives on urban space culture through six of his translated urban space books. The fifth lecture will be based on the book “Cities and Nature” and will lead students to an in-depth discussion through an introductory reading by Professor Wang Zhihong and sharing by Special Guest Professor Shek Yuan-yu.

“City and Nature”
“There are no 'natural' disasters in cities, just as there are no cities that exist independently of nature.”
Geoscientists tend to think that cities are just social phenomena, while environmental scientists tend to ignore cities. Thus, Cities and Nature aims to discuss how urban nature and cities themselves are affected by society by reviewing the city, reconnecting science and social science, critically ignoring mainstream academic treatises that ignore the foundations of urban life and living environments.
The book revolves around three core themes: 1 the urban environment in the historical context; 2 the issue of urban-natural relations; and 3 (re) reshaping the urban-nature relationship. Content includes advanced readings and case studies on Bangladesh, Paris, Delhi, Rome, Cuba, Thailand, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and Toronto. The author attempts to reintroduce the perspective of social science by examining the physical environment of urban nature, cities and cities. This book is of great value to students and scholars of environmental studies, urban studies and planning.