“We need a way to live, a lifestyle that allows us to thrive within our ecological means, a mode of existence not unlike what Mannahatta’s residents once knew in terms of sustainability and respect. As you will see, Mannahatta supported enormous numbers of living beings with diverse appetites and remarkable requirments; it did so powered entirely by the sun and through efficient recycling if its resources. The people who lived on Mannahatta had a profound effect on the landscape, but not one that excluded other creatures or was beyond the power of the landscape to accommodate over time. Mannahatta succeeded because of the extraordinary diversity of life-forms and the concentration of interactions and dependencies among them, much like NYC succeeds because of the extraordinary diversity of talents and interests among its people, concentrated and energized by the urban landscape. Cities are ecosystems – ecosystems dedicated to people.”
excerpt from the book “Mannahatta, A Natural History of New York City”
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