Nature in the Future Built Environment

Our urban environment was built by deforestation of our original biome and replaced with mostly anthropogenic material. Before the advancement of air conditioning and electric lighting, our buildings were more dependent on natural ventilation and daylighting, which required narrower lease depths. With the advancement of air conditioning, buildings became more hermetically sealed and humans are now spending close to 90% of their time in indoor environments. These environments often are sterile and decoupled from nature. Does our future perpetuate this disconnect between nature and urban environment? This paper explores how nature, from trees to microbiota, may be the key for our health and the health of the planet in the future.