‘’’Naturbia’’’ (trademark pending) is the integration of nature with urban form. Developed by Justyna Karakiewicz and Thomas Kvan from research in intensive urban forms in Hong Kong, the concept has been applied in Sydney and Malaysia. The approach brings together urban agriculture and horticulture with high density mixed use urban living. Using all surfaces of the built form, activities normally engaged in nature on ground surfaces, such as cultivation and harvesting of plants, hiking and recreation, can be enjoyed on the surfaces of built forms. Supporting community gardens, commercial production or tended natural growth, the urban environment becomes a natural environment. Plant life mitigates and tempers the environment, reducing heat island effects and contributes to social engagement and communal well being. The intensification of land use allows the development of an alternative to the extremes of suburban spawl and high rise urban concentrations. Using these concepts, densities of up to 3,000 people per hectare can be sustained. Originally applied in 2005 to a design concept in Kwu Tung, Hong Kong, the idea has gained popularity elsewhere. Naturban living is a real alternative to motorway commuting or sterile city streets.
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