A sustaining urban nature economy

Cities, as the primary economic engines, need to provide leadership for a new economy that is not only sustainable for the environment but also sustaining for individuals in the form of meaningful employment that provides income and growth potential to support a high standard of living. The pandemic provided an opportunity to reset economic priorities and support nature-based fields to sustain both a better relationship with the natural world and the well-being of people. To combat the impacts of the pandemic, there was unprecedented government spending, which provided an opportunity to redirect economic momentum towards a “green recovery” and pave the way to a sustainable economic transformation with sustaining jobs. An urban nature economy provides opportunities to align social-economic needs with flourishing nature and the benefits that it provides. A green economic transition provides the potential to disrupt the cycle of poverty and environmental harm by sustaining a workforce with well-paying jobs supporting a long-term higher quality of life. Green jobs not only provide well-paying opportunities but also contribute to cleaner, healthier, more equitable communities. The challenge, however, has been to achieve sufficient growth in the green economy to support the creation of new opportunities to support these newly skilled workers. Future success depends on cities creating a policy framework to spur and require demand for these professional workers. This includes mandating or incentivizing green building and infrastructure requirements, along with long-term planning to support a nature-based urban future. To a degree, there will be a time lag for private investment, and cities can bridge that gap with publicly supported programs that cultivate this skilled workforce and support the growth in expertise for leaders in these nature-based fields .