Restoring Mannahatta’s Ecology Through Biophilic Design

As global urbanization accelerates, the divide between buildings and ecosystems is proving a dangerous relic. In the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, dense cities must evolve from places that merely “do less harm” into living systems that restore ecological function. This session explores how development can move beyond sustainability toward regeneration by treating urban landscapes as biodiversity infrastructure.
Dr. Eric W. Sanderson, Vice President for Urban Conservation Strategy at the New York Botanical Garden, frames the city as habitat. Drawing on the Mannahatta Project’s reconstruction of Manhattan’s 1609 ecology, he identifies the drivers of habitat productivity and the policy levers that can scale them.
Architect Spencer Lapp (COOKFOX) translates this ecological thinking into neighborhood and building form through four Manhattan case studies. 512 West 22nd Street along the High Line deploys planted terraces and roofs where planted area exceeds the building footprint. Terminal Warehouse demonstrates adaptive reuse as ecological repair by carving a new courtyard for light, air and gardens. St. John’s Terminal integrates 1.5 acres of vegetation and rainwater capture designed to retain up to 92,000 gallons. The Mabel, a fully electrified mixed-income building at 335 Eighth Avenue, brings ecologically integrated design into everyday housing through gardens on three levels and bird-safe UV window coatings.
Landscape architect Steven Tupu, founding principal of terrain-nyc, gets into the weeds: creating productive habitat in dense urban places and the operational realities of keeping habitat productive after ribbon-cutting.
Attendees will gain understanding of how designing for habitat productivity is creating value for developers and leading innovation in urban biophilic design.