“Cities of the future must live in harmony with nature.”
This idea has guided the academic career of Marian Stuiver, an expert in ecology and urban sustainability, and author of Symbiotic Cities: Voices of Nature in Urban Transformations. Stuiver, who directs the Green Cities Program at Wageningen University (Netherlands), visited Universidad de los Andes during AgroLab Week 2023, an initiative that promotes sustainable practices in urban areas.
For Stuiver, one of the paths toward this vision is inclusive and conscious leadership from academia and business.
Marian, your career focuses on the symbiosis between nature and cities—the concept of the symbiotic city. Can you explain this idea?
Yes, the symbiotic city is a vision of urban areas that are better connected to the natural foundations of the city—its soil and water systems—and that create space for biodiversity. It values nature culturally, for example, through public parks or community gardens. It also recognizes nature’s intrinsic value by preserving habitats where birds, insects, and plants can exist on their own. Additionally, it integrates food production, water and soil management, and climate adaptation measures.
Currently, cities are built from concrete and steel, with occasional green spaces, but nature is not truly connected to urban life. The symbiotic city reconnects people with nature in the city.
When we talk about green or symbiotic cities, food is not often considered. How does food relate to this concept?
People need food even more than they realize they need nature. We need air to breathe and food to eat. Food production can be a catalyst for urban planning that prioritizes nature because food is nature—plants and animals. If food practices become more symbiotic and are given space in cities, the symbiotic city can grow organically.
You complement the concept of green cities with traditional knowledge and inclusive leadership. How do these elements improve cities?
We are not used to automatically including nature in urban planning and design. The first step is achieving ecological justice—giving animals and plants the same right to exist in the city as humans. But we also need social justice to ensure that measures for developing symbiotic cities benefit everyone. Too often, climate adaptation projects or green spaces lead to gentrification, excluding many people from enjoying these benefits.
How can companies, decision-makers, and policymakers become aware of concepts like symbiotic cities?
I have developed what I call the Eco-Urban Innovation System, which brings together local governments, neighborhood communities, knowledge institutions, NGOs, large corporations, and small businesses. Each actor can influence its urban environment differently, but all can contribute. For example, companies can integrate nature into their supply chains and properties, while governments must include it in planning.
What advice would you give CEOs to make their organizations more sustainable?
First, assess environmental and social costs—the damage your company may cause, often considered externalities. Incorporate these costs as your responsibility and rethink your cost-benefit balance. Include not only economic gains but also benefits such as soil restoration, water conservation, poverty reduction, and biodiversity enhancement. This is a completely new way of thinking about corporate responsibility.
I suppose CEOs need to listen more to academia, right?
Some CEOs truly embrace sustainability. They reinvest in regenerating their properties, create programs to generate employment, and promote equitable transitions. Collaboration among academia, businesses, and NGOs is essential for transformation.
For Stuiver, a leader committed to social and ecological justice must go beyond inclusion. Leadership models should integrate empathy, involve the less visible, ensure equitable resource distribution, and recognize all stakeholders in building sustainable cities.
