Cam Brewer says humans mistakenly believe cities exist independent of nature. “The idea that we’re separate from nature underpins many of the mistakes we’ve made that have led to ecological catastrophes and human isolation and inequality and problems with cities,” says Brewer, an environmental law professor at Simon Fraser University. “This idea that nature is out there, separate from where we are, was never true and isn’t true.” Brewer is a co-author, along with Slocan Valley forest ecologist Herb Hammond and SFU professor of environmental management Sean Markey, of a new book, Nature-First Cities. The book explores how cities have become ecological wastelands, and it outlines the psychological costs of living with minimal access to natural spaces. It offers strategies for the redesign of urban spaces in ways that integrate nature, proposing solutions beyond traditional greening efforts.