Renaturing for Resilience: Designing cities as shared habitats

Renaturing for Resilience is the outcome of the 2019 Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship, awarded to Stewart Monti, Associate and leader of Atelier Ten’s Masterplanning practice in Australia. The scholarship supports emerging architects and built environment professionals to undertake international research that advances architectural knowledge and practice in New South Wales.

Originally intended to be a 2020 study tour, the project was delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Stewart eventually travelled in 2023 and has now completed the full body of work.

What if cities were designed not just for people, but for the ecosystems they inhabit?

Stewart’s research took him to six US cities—San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, New York, Philadelphia, and Charlottesville—where he explored how urban projects, policies, and communities are integrating nature into the built environment. The work builds on Atelier Ten’s ongoing commitment to nature-inclusive, nature-positive, and regenerative approaches to environmental design and sustainability.

The outcomes include:

• A final report, now published here
• A travel podcast, released weekly over the past several months

The report contains detailed case studies of built projects and policies, as well as synthesis from interviews that were featured in the podcast. The podcast itself was created as a more accessible, conversational format to complement the depth of the written research and reach a broader audience.

Atelier Ten is proud to support this kind of thought leadership as we continue to explore how cities can become more equitable, ecological, and resilient.

🔗 Read the report here: Renaturing for Resilience

🎧 Catch up on the podcast episodes here: Renaturing for Resilience