A Socio-Ecological Perspective on Green Urbanisation and Urban Ecological Intensification

It is a matter of concern whether the human population is eroding the Earth’s life support system. Rapid urbanisation is fuelling separation between humans and nature, especially in cities. Cities can embrace sustainable development by adopting a natural ecological perspective and creating comfortable urban environments comprising green space in the form of parks or green roofs. Urban parks provide ecological, economic and social benefits to cities and citizens. However, the ever increasing urban population threatens the transformation of cities into ecological cities. This article discusses the importance of integrating moral values and social factors derived from ecological wisdom into urban ecological development; in particular, this paper focuses on the integration of green spaces in order to make cities more sustainable. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of ecophronēsis in adopting an ecological practice that can inform urban ecological intensification.