Integrating the benefits of nature into cities – National Observer

December 9th 2024

These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Patricia Dijak is spending her retirement persuading local governments to design climate-adapted cities.

Tell us about your project.

When I retired from engineering and product marketing, I wanted to make a contribution to improve lives today and protect what we love in the face of our changing climate. I enrolled in the University of Victoria’s Climate Action Planning program. My final project focused on integrating nature into cities to protect our health and wellbeing, lower energy and water use, and reduce carbon emissions.  For the past year, I have helped pull together a coalition of 15 climate, conservation and community groups, representing over 1,000 people, to lobby South Vancouver Island local governments to incorporate nature-based solutions into infill housing and urban design.

Read More: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/12/04/opinion/benefits-nature-cities