Urban ecologists and foresters are doing serious work with serious constraints. Monitoring budgets are thin. Data systems are fragmented. Standards for what "success" looks like vary from city to city — and sometimes don't exist at all. The result is a gap between what cities intend for their nature and what actually survives long enough to matter.
Internet of Nature® is a framework for closing that gap. It combines ecological science with emerging technologies to give cities, developers, and policymakers something they rarely have enough of: reliable data, and a clear way to act on it.
Urban nature is managed on instinct—Internet of Nature changes that
The four phases
1. Map — Know what you have. Where is the nature, what condition is it in, and where is it under the most pressure? Inventories exist in many cities, but they're often static. Mapping is the foundation everything else depends on — and it needs to be kept alive.
2. Monitor — Track what's happening over time. Not a one-off survey but ongoing data — tree health, biodiversity, ecosystem function — that builds into something defensible when budgets are being cut or targets are being set.
3. Manage — Make better decisions with better information. Allocate resources where they're needed most. Turn nature from a line item that's easy to cut into a managed asset with a documented return.
4. Reconnect — Help people notice, use, and care about the nature around them. Communities that know their nature are more likely to advocate for it — and that advocacy matters when the pressure to develop is high.
Why it matters
Urban nature is one of the most cost-effective tools cities have for managing heat, flooding, air quality, and public health. But it only works if it's there — established, thriving, and maintained. Right now, too much of it isn't. Internet of Nature® exists to change the odds.
The solution: Internet of Nature®
I developed the Internet of Nature® framework through my PhD research (2017-20, University College Dublin, MIT Senseable City Lab) and have been applying it ever since — through keynotes, consulting projects, and research partnerships across five continents. In practice, this has meant:
• smart tree inventories that give cities a living picture of their urban forest,
• ecoacoustic monitoring that tracks biodiversity without a single researcher in the field,
• tree establishment sensors that flag stress before a newly planted tree is lost,
• nature deficiency mapping that shows where green infrastructure is most needed,
• hyperlocal heat mapping that makes the case for investment in underserved areas,
• citizen science bioblitzes that turn communities into active monitors.
These aren't hypothetical. They're happening — and the cities and organizations behind them are building something more durable than good intentions.
If you're working on urban nature and want a framework that holds up to scrutiny — in a boardroom, a grant application, or a city council chamber — let's talk!
Want to go deeper?
My book, THE NATURE OF OUR CITIES, explores the Internet of Nature® framework through real projects and the people behind them. The Internet of Nature Podcast brings you the researchers and practitioners applying it — now in its seventh season.
Whether you're planning a city, funding change, building a portfolio, or organizing an event — I'd love to hear what you're working on.
