Civic resielience : botanical gardens in North America, birth, development, and enviromental awarness

The chapter explores from a historical perspective the birth of botanical gardens in North America, considered a significant part of the ecological network system and of the green and blue 'infrastructure'. This important system opposes geographical risk, which must be organically dealt with in programmes, plans and strategies that protect the landscape, prevent risks, and strengthen short-, medium- and long-term actions, also involving local Communities, integrating the vision to the different scales of intervention and projects. The Botanical Garden, seen here as an 'Open Work', has an important role not only because it preserves botanical specimens that come from all over the world, but because it is part of the historical and cultural heritage and because it maintains large areas of 'nature' in the urban environment that influence the microclimate and the perception and enjoyment of the local landscape. An equally relevant aspect dealt with here is the role of botanical gardens in relation to the population. The garden is, in fact, an open museum that protects nature and the landscape by activating environmental awareness and widespread education in neighbourhoods and schools.