Our Philosophy: Reconnecting Our Urban Habitat
At our core, humans have a deep, instinctual need to connect with the natural world. Modern city life, for all its advantages, can often sever this connection, leaving us in environments that feel functional but not truly nourishing. Our philosophy is simple: we believe the best urban spaces are those that honor this innate need for nature.
Our mission is to weave these timeless, natural elements back into the city fabric. Using permaculture principles and data-driven design, we transform the urban landscape into a supportive habitat.
Community Sighting
Help us map our city’s biome! See what others have found on our community map, and add your own sightings of interesting sites.
This could be a great nature-based solution, a problem area, or a space with untapped potential. Thank you for contributing.
UrbanBiome App
The Challenge
This interactive map shows live Sentinel-2 satellite data, processed by Google Earth Engine to visualise the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). It is a powerful example of how we can identify areas that lack green space and target interventions where they are most needed.
Our Technical Docs
For those who want to dive deeper, our technical docs are open repository of our knowledge. It contains detailed methodologies, data dictionaries, in-depth case studies, and tutorials on how to use our open data. Please note: You are navigating to our separate documentation site.
Meet Our Founders
Reuben Forster
GIS Analyst / Ecological Design
Reuben Forster is a Designer and Technologist committed to leveraging technology for societal betterment. He specializes in computational problem-solving, marrying natural phenomena with technological innovation.
Manon Dangelser
Senior Consultant | Sustainability | Resilience
Manon is a climate resilience consultant, sustainability specialist & engineer. Her focus is to advocate for the integration of resilience and climate adaptation measures at early design stage.
Our Mission & Values
We strive to improve the environment in cities by integrating elements of nature, applying permaculture thinking, and leveraging data to create sustainable, resilient urban ecosystems.
Core Values
Ecological Regeneration
Fostering biodiversity and restoring natural processes in urban settings.
Community Engagement
Collaborating with local communities to create shared green spaces.
Sustainable Design
Implementing long-lasting, low-impact solutions inspired by permaculture.
Data-Driven Impact
Utilizing Open GIS data to identify and prioritize areas for ecological improvement.
Our Groundwork Guides
Looking for practical, hands-on guides? We’ve moved all our how-to articles to a new dedicated community hub.
Explore our collection of guides for urban gardening, attracting wildlife, composting, and more.
Our Projects
Our project portfolio has a new home! We’ve created a dedicated site to showcase our work in more detail, with case studies, photo galleries, and project updates.
Our Services
Nature-Based Solutions
Implementing green infrastructure like rain gardens and green roofs.
Permaculture Design
Creating sustainable systems modeled on natural ecosystems.
Urban Greening Strategy
Developing comprehensive strategies for increasing green cover in cities.
Ecological Consulting
Providing expert advice on urban ecology and habitat restoration.
UrbanBiome Events: Get Involved
Discover Local Green Events Now!
We’re excited to announce that our new UrbanBiome Events Hub is live and ready for you to explore!
This interactive platform is your go-to place for finding and participating in a wide range of activities focused on re-naturing our city, including:
- Gardening Workshops & Skillshares
- Community Planting Days
- Volunteer Opportunities with Local Nature Projects
- Guided Urban Nature Walks & Talks
- Sustainability Meetups & Networking Events
- And much more!
Our vision for events.urbanbiome.co.uk is to be a vibrant hub connecting passionate individuals with local actions. Find out what’s on, connect with like-minded groups, and discover opportunities to actively contribute to a greener, healthier urban environment.
Why a Dedicated Events Site?
- Connect Our Community: Directly link passionate individuals with local actions.
- Facilitate Participation: Make it easy to find and join relevant activities.
- Support Local Initiatives: Provide a platform for groups to promote their greening efforts.
- From Learning to Doing: Bridge the gap from our guides and tools to real-world application.
Explore the Events Hub today and find your next opportunity to help our urban biome flourish!
News & Updates
For all our latest news, announcements, and research updates, please visit our new dedicated news hub.
You can also subscribe to our RSS feed to get updates delivered directly to you.
Support Our Mission
Our work is driven by a passion for creating greener, more resilient cities for everyone. If you share our vision, please consider supporting our mission.
Get In Touch
For inquiries, collaborations, or to request access to the UrbanBiome Tool, please reach out.