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Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present, and Future
In a rapidly urbanizing India, what is the future of nature conservation? How does the march of development impact the conflict between nature and people in India's cities? Exploring these questions, Nature in the City examines the past, present, and future of nature in Bengaluru, one of Indiaâs largest and fastest growing cities.
Once known as the Garden City of India, Bengaluru's tree-lined avenues, historic parks, and expansive water bodies have witnessed immense degradation and destruction in recent years, but have also shown remarkable tenacity for survival. This book charts Bengaluru's journey from the early settlements in the 6th century CE to the 21st century city, and demonstrates how nature has looked and behaved, and has been perceived in Bengaluru's home gardens, slums, streets, parks, sacred spaces, and lakes.
A fascinating narrative of the changing role and state of nature in the midst of urban sprawl, and integrating research with stories of people and places, this book presents an accessible and informative story of a city where nature thrives and strives.
Once known as the Garden City of India, Bengaluru's tree-lined avenues, historic parks, and expansive water bodies have witnessed immense degradation and destruction in recent years, but have also shown remarkable tenacity for survival. This book charts Bengaluru's journey from the early settlements in the 6th century CE to the 21st century city, and demonstrates how nature has looked and behaved, and has been perceived in Bengaluru's home gardens, slums, streets, parks, sacred spaces, and lakes.
A fascinating narrative of the changing role and state of nature in the midst of urban sprawl, and integrating research with stories of people and places, this book presents an accessible and informative story of a city where nature thrives and strives.
244 pages, Hardcover
Published September 7, 2016
18 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 1, 2016
For a long time I was running to ground for a good book on Bengaluru. There was always this thought in my head about how blissfully unaware I am of this city, a place where I have grown up in and now where I belong to. During the last week of May after an extensive search I got to know about the author, Dr Harini Nagendra and this book ‘Nature in the City’ before its release. At that instance I felt this book was for me, totally! I ended up giving a pre-order for two reasons, firstly my long standing interest to know about the history of this city beyond the ‘baked beans’ story and secondly the title of the book’ Nature in the City’, the first and the last word in the title seemed quite contradictory in the current times. If you were to travel through the denuded roads with trees few and far between in their different stages of death and the many ‘Namma Metro’ Pillars in their different stages of growth in ‘Namma Bengaluru’ I bet you will agree.
I started this book as an ignorant citizen stuck in between the comforting weather and the terrible traffic, now at the end of reading this book my ideas about Bengaluru is beyond this spectrum. I realized for many of us here in this city the obvious is the least understood. Everything has been happening right in front of us and we all are a part of it in a way or the other, in all the transitions this city is going through. Dr Harini Nagendra has done a commendable job by putting these issues across in the ten chapters of this book.
To a commoner, conservation is synonymous with saving the rich and green forests. This book takes this responsibility of ours towards nature to a completely different level. If anything good has to begin anywhere it has to be from the place we live in, from our cities and from our homes. The concepts of ‘urban’ and ‘nature’ are not separate. What impressed me was the way the book began with this very important message and all the ecological history, how this city of Bengaluru came into being from a village to a metropolitan. The book is full of interesting trivia, anecdotes, experiences and evidences. It takes you through a journey, a time travel of sorts. If you consider yourself a Bengalurean, reading this will be an eye opener :-)
I started this book as an ignorant citizen stuck in between the comforting weather and the terrible traffic, now at the end of reading this book my ideas about Bengaluru is beyond this spectrum. I realized for many of us here in this city the obvious is the least understood. Everything has been happening right in front of us and we all are a part of it in a way or the other, in all the transitions this city is going through. Dr Harini Nagendra has done a commendable job by putting these issues across in the ten chapters of this book.
To a commoner, conservation is synonymous with saving the rich and green forests. This book takes this responsibility of ours towards nature to a completely different level. If anything good has to begin anywhere it has to be from the place we live in, from our cities and from our homes. The concepts of ‘urban’ and ‘nature’ are not separate. What impressed me was the way the book began with this very important message and all the ecological history, how this city of Bengaluru came into being from a village to a metropolitan. The book is full of interesting trivia, anecdotes, experiences and evidences. It takes you through a journey, a time travel of sorts. If you consider yourself a Bengalurean, reading this will be an eye opener :-)
October 6, 2017
Full review in Current Science journal: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volum...
As a scholarly work on the ecological history of Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka in southern India, this book breaks new ground and makes for a refreshing read. It is interdisciplinary in scope, bringing insights from fields as diverse as ecology, urban planning, history and sociology.
Nature in the City is distinctive in several ways. First, as a book written by an ecologist, it is refreshing and unusual in that it addresses nature in cities, rather than in forests or wilderness areas considered a more typical domain of all things natural. With over half of the world’s population today residing in cities, or increasingly living in rapidly urbanizing spaces, the focus of this book is timely and relevant to contemporary concerns over how to integrate nature and sustainability with urban development. Second, the book delves into archival and historical material from the 6th century CE to recent times without relying solely on these sources. Instead, Nagendra blends into the work findings of primary field research conducted by her students, co-workers and herself in the present-day city, which traces nature in the city’s parks, wetlands, slums, streets and sacred spaces. Further, the voices of different groups of citizens presented as quotes and findings of interview surveys add a significant dimension to the work, illustrating how perspectives vary among the different segments of society ranging from the underprivileged and marginalized poor, the middle-class apartment dwellers, other interest groups and members of civil society, to the wealthy elite. Finally, Nagendra writes in an easy, clear and flowing style, almost free of jargon, with each chapter winding down with a summary of the main conclusions. The book makes for an intelligible and illuminating read by non-specialists and non-academic readers, without compromising on the scholarship. This makes for a reading experience marked by ease and clarity which is rare among scholarly works in ecology, sociology and environmental history.
Read more here: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volum...
As a scholarly work on the ecological history of Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka in southern India, this book breaks new ground and makes for a refreshing read. It is interdisciplinary in scope, bringing insights from fields as diverse as ecology, urban planning, history and sociology.
Nature in the City is distinctive in several ways. First, as a book written by an ecologist, it is refreshing and unusual in that it addresses nature in cities, rather than in forests or wilderness areas considered a more typical domain of all things natural. With over half of the world’s population today residing in cities, or increasingly living in rapidly urbanizing spaces, the focus of this book is timely and relevant to contemporary concerns over how to integrate nature and sustainability with urban development. Second, the book delves into archival and historical material from the 6th century CE to recent times without relying solely on these sources. Instead, Nagendra blends into the work findings of primary field research conducted by her students, co-workers and herself in the present-day city, which traces nature in the city’s parks, wetlands, slums, streets and sacred spaces. Further, the voices of different groups of citizens presented as quotes and findings of interview surveys add a significant dimension to the work, illustrating how perspectives vary among the different segments of society ranging from the underprivileged and marginalized poor, the middle-class apartment dwellers, other interest groups and members of civil society, to the wealthy elite. Finally, Nagendra writes in an easy, clear and flowing style, almost free of jargon, with each chapter winding down with a summary of the main conclusions. The book makes for an intelligible and illuminating read by non-specialists and non-academic readers, without compromising on the scholarship. This makes for a reading experience marked by ease and clarity which is rare among scholarly works in ecology, sociology and environmental history.
Read more here: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volum...
January 7, 2018
The first book I have laid my hands on that adds so much background into the history of Bengaluru as a city and how it has evolved from 8th/9th century fast forwarding to 18th Century , highlighting areas - some not as old as I thought they were and some older. Whilst the book then progresses to it's main research around ecological diversity in the city and I did roll over some of the technicalities, what really caught my attention was there have been multiple rounds of "garden"ification of this city through city which means there is still a possibility that present day Bengaluru is not a lost cause in regaining the greenery it was famed for. The author touches nature and its impact on the city across economic / social stratas. A great technical read in free flowing non-technical language.
December 2, 2024
I'd recommend it to anyone living/wants-to-live in Bangalore.
July 17, 2017
Harini takes through her personal journey from her childhood - when her mother (a botanist), took her on long, slow rambles through urban streets and parks teeming with foliage, pausing every few feet to examine an interesting looking tree or plant – to being an ecologist herself and teaching Sustainability at APU. She explores the tension between people, profit and planet (3Ps); and the conflict between ecology and development, and how the nature of the conflict has changed and shall remain to change.
January 22, 2018
This is really an exceptional book of great scholarship. The clearest discussion I have seen about Bangalore's history from an ecology standpoint. I learned a great deal from reading it and it will be a useful resource for my students. Not really written for the casual reader unless you are from Bangalore. There has been a lot written about Bangalore's water issues in the past few years, this book provides a good background on how this came to be.
February 9, 2018
A book that provides a succinct account of urban nature, flora and lakes in specific, with Bengaluru as an example. A must read for anyone interested in Bengaluru, urban ecology and development. Written based on exhaustive field research but in a simple language, the book provides historical evidence of Bengaluru's changed face along with a prediction of what could happen in the future. A highly recommended read.
January 30, 2017
This is such a profoundly fascinating book. I learned a great deal about my city for sure. I also discovered a wealth of knowledge about the ecological history of Bengaluru. This history can be especially useful for those of us who wish to return to the days when the city was filled with lakes and free of pollution.
August 17, 2020
Good amalgamation of historical and ecological evolution of Bengaluru city. Of a city outgrowing its environmental constraints and its after effects. Scholarly and found it better than her second book 'cities and canopies' which is also an impressive book.
December 26, 2019
Very informative.
June 13, 2025
"Nature in the city" talks about Bengaluru in the past, present and future. How unknowingly we live in a place without knowing the significance and the history of the place. This book talks about Bengaluru's history and its significance. How it developed and changed in front of people’s eyes.
The book is very informative and focuses on each and every little things. The ecological history, how Bengaluru changed from colonial to an independent city, parks, home gardens, poverty due to the change, are well described.
I don’t usually prefer reading non-fiction books, but reading this book, gave me entirely a different idea of Bengaluru and its nature, that made me realise some non-fiction books are interesting.
How nature plays an important role in rapidly urbanizing Bengaluru, how nature is conserved in such a city are well narrated here which makes the book more interesting.
The maps and photos about Bengaluru is viewed well, and the maps also makes you keep going with the book. It’s not obviously a page turner but yet very interesting and observing.
The words such as "aesthetic" to describe the nature, gives rich vocabulary vibes.My favourite chapter in this book is "Blue Nature". It talks about beauty of lakes and water bodies. Lakes play an important role in development of Bengaluru and also contributes to the beauty of nature. I like the way it is described. Like can you imagine your lives without water bodies, isn't it?
This book is all you need to know about Bengaluru, and reading this book makes you worth living in Bengaluru.
Every city in India deserves a book like this. This book makes you love the place you live and embrace the little joys of nature.
This book is just not a research book but also such a vibe, like nature type vibes.
Lastly I want to conclude that this book is really good and informative. This book is enough for any research paper you want to do, and know about Bengaluru. Every citizen living in Bengaluru deserves to read this book. I’m grateful to you for writing this book and making our lives informative.
Thank you!
The book is very informative and focuses on each and every little things. The ecological history, how Bengaluru changed from colonial to an independent city, parks, home gardens, poverty due to the change, are well described.
I don’t usually prefer reading non-fiction books, but reading this book, gave me entirely a different idea of Bengaluru and its nature, that made me realise some non-fiction books are interesting.
How nature plays an important role in rapidly urbanizing Bengaluru, how nature is conserved in such a city are well narrated here which makes the book more interesting.
The maps and photos about Bengaluru is viewed well, and the maps also makes you keep going with the book. It’s not obviously a page turner but yet very interesting and observing.
The words such as "aesthetic" to describe the nature, gives rich vocabulary vibes.My favourite chapter in this book is "Blue Nature". It talks about beauty of lakes and water bodies. Lakes play an important role in development of Bengaluru and also contributes to the beauty of nature. I like the way it is described. Like can you imagine your lives without water bodies, isn't it?
This book is all you need to know about Bengaluru, and reading this book makes you worth living in Bengaluru.
Every city in India deserves a book like this. This book makes you love the place you live and embrace the little joys of nature.
This book is just not a research book but also such a vibe, like nature type vibes.
Lastly I want to conclude that this book is really good and informative. This book is enough for any research paper you want to do, and know about Bengaluru. Every citizen living in Bengaluru deserves to read this book. I’m grateful to you for writing this book and making our lives informative.
Thank you!
November 14, 2016
In this book, Harini Nagendra presents her research on how the nature has shaped the city of Bangalore and the culture of its inhabitants. After an overview to the evolution of the city from its foundation in the XVI century, the author explores how nature has influenced the living on different spaces such as houses, parks, slums, roads, lakes and worship places.
A very interesting reading that helps to understand the importance of nature around us and the importance of protecting it for the many benefits that brings both to the people and to the urban environment.
A very interesting reading that helps to understand the importance of nature around us and the importance of protecting it for the many benefits that brings both to the people and to the urban environment.
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September 18, 2018This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews