Why are cities built near water?
All of the oldest major cities and towns throughout history are (or were) built near rivers or the coast, with only a few notable exceptions. This is for a combination of important factors.
Firstly, very early settlements would prioritise settling next to bodies of fresh water for access to drinking water and better soil for crops. Cities and towns would therefore develop rapidly where water and good soil was easily accessible.
Secondly, a city, town or settlement established near a body of water held significant strategic advantages in battle and warfare. Water made attacking settlements more difficult and harder to access by foot.
A city or town built next to water also provides natural trade routes with neighbouring territories, as well as those further away. In early settlements, it allowed farmers to get their crops to market especially quickly. Boats can transport large cargo quicker than humans can transport goods over land. Historian William Dalrymple has said in pre-modern times, maritime travel cost only a fifth of overland transport.
Cities at their creation therefore fundamentally depend on nature for their establishment and prosperity. Without water, soil and natural resources, the oldest cities in the world are unlikely to have stood the test of time.
Nature and ancient cities
Where cities depend on nature at a base level, there are also countless examples of human civilisation paying homage to the natural world to beautify and distinguish its cities and towns.
The first Empires in Egypt, Persia, Greece and Italy all developed a fondness for nature and designed ornate gardens as peaceful enclaves in otherwise bustling cities. Egyptian tomb paintings from around 1500 BCE, offer some of the earliest evidence of gardens being used for ornamental horticulture and landscape design.
This is an apparent trend in the Greek and Roman Empires too. The archaeological evidence of the Roman gardens in Pompeii demonstrates gardens at the back of the property, away from the noise of the central urban areas. Pompeians decorated their walls and columns with murals, frescos of trees, plants, water and clear skies, as well as mosaics of nature. They often had water features in their gardens, so the sound of running water also held significance. To be at peace meant to be close to the natural world, even if man made.
Nature and cities through modern times
As cities got bigger and societies across the world grew, it posed a greater question of how humanities relationship with nature would change.
In the Americas, John Locke’s ‘Treatise of Government’ paved the way for huge European land grabs and colonial ventures. He believed that the land belonged to those who made best use of it, “As much Land as a Man Tills, Plants, Improves, Cultivates, and can use the Product of, so much is his Property.” This colonial justification for land grabbing enabled an exploitative relationship with nature, whereby the land is used entirely for one peoples’ gain.
Other thinkers of the time, like naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, believed in a more interconnected relationship between nature and humanity. At Lake Valencia in Venezuela, von Humboldt wrote about how deforestation and irrigation had drastic implications on the local ecosystem. He stressed the importance of biodiversity and was critical of the preoccupation for cash crops such as coffee, sugar, and cotton. He saw this accelerating colonialism and devastating the environment in its wake. However, it is important to note that while von Humboldt rejected the idea of colonialism, he worked as an agent for colonial nations and shared his findings with colonial forces.
So what did this mean for city-building? Perhaps inevitably, the profiteering through colonialism and land cultivation have defined the modern era, with cities growing exponentially with little regard for our environment, the human cost and the negative impact that rapid growth had in our natural world overall. The industrial revolution further fuelled this, with cities focused on output and consumption of goods with little regard for the natural environment.
There is also a stark contrast between the Global North and South throughout modern times. The powerhouse cities of the Global North are responsible for around 50% of global emissions since the Industrial Revolution. The cities of the Global South not only contribute far less to negative climate change, but also see less of the benefits from fossil fuels and energy consumption.
Nature and cities now
Thankfully, people are rethinking our cities and their own relationships with the natural world. The climate emergency, population growth and urbanisation now pose poignant questions for our cities, and there are many positive examples leading the way.
The growth of Singapore meant that it lost 95% of its historical forests. In 1967, the government made a pioneering plan to address this, setting out its vision and turning Singapore into a garden city and a model of biodiversity. Now, around 10% of Singapore’s land has been set aside for parks and nature reserves, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Singapore perhaps led the way in environmentally conscious city-building, but it is part of a growing movement of biophilic design. This term refers to architecture and urban planning that mimics natural environments, to enhance well-being and sustainability. Now, biophilic and sustainable design is increasingly embraced by major developers across the world.
The Bosco Verticale, or ‘vertical forest’ in Milan is perhaps the most famous example of this. Built in 2009, the residential building is covered in over 20,000 plants, helping to convert carbon, absorb CO2, and improve the quality of air. Unlike using glass or stone building materials, the plant-based shield does not reflect the sun’s rays, but filters them. This creates an internal microclimate without harmful effects on the environment.
In London, many will recognise the iconic Gherkin building, shaped like a pickle. However, this casual name is a misnomer. The structure is actually inspired by a different part of our natural world, a pinecone. The pinecone inspires both its design and its function with a natural spiral. Fresh air is drawn up through the spiralling light-wells to ventilate the interior building, minimising reliance on air conditioning and central heating.
