The City Council adopted a resolution Wednesday for Los Angeles to seek membership in the Biophilic Cities Network, a global network of partner cities that aim to create “natureful” environments in urban areas through conserving and celebrating nature.
Partner cities currently include San Francisco, Washington D.C., Barcelona and Toronto.
The city’s narrative statement in applying to join the network states in part that Los Angeles “has much to gain by learning from other cities, states and nations across the globe.”
According to the resolution, Los Angeles is located in a global biodiversity hotspot, and should become a biophilic haven “for native species and serve as refuge for species by providing habitat, adequate food/prey and shelter.”
The city proposed to use the 25 metrics in its biodiversity index to track its progress on relevant initiatives, which include habitat quality and connectivity of natural areas, urban landscapes and streams.