Cultivating our cities

Urban green spaces, including native trees and medicinal herb species, significantly enhance the quality of life for city dwellers while serving as vital resources for low-income communities. These plants, found in gardens, balconies, vacant lots, and markets, provide alternative medicine for mild to chronic diseases and contribute to urban resilience through traditional healing practices and ethno-botanical knowledge. A decade-long comparative study across eight Latin American cities—Lima (Peru), Santiago (Chile), Río Cuarto (Argentina), Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay), Belén and São Luis (Brazil), Havana (Cuba), San José (Costa Rica), and Mexico City (Mexico)—revealed that cultivated front and backyards act as paradoxes of globalization, fostering sustainable urban development. This research underscores the importance of preserving such practices for future generations.

Madaleno, I. M. (2012). Cultivating our cities. Environmental Impact, 1, 183–192. https://doi.org/10.2495/eid120171