In 1978 the city of Los Angeles was hit by a hundred-year flood. In 1980 it was hit again. The devastation that followed paralleled the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In this groundbreaking presentation, Andy Lipkis describes the unlikely partnerships that arise in emergency situations and the lessons we can learn from ecology to help overcome the fractured condition of city agencies. When we treat an entire city like an ecosystem, he explains, we can combine the integrated efforts of urban planning and resource management to effect radical change in systems of education, infrastructure and community revitalization.

This speech was presented at the 2005 Bioneers National Conference in San Rafael, CA and is part of the Ecological Design Collection, Vol. 2.