Nesbitt, Lorien

I am an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of urban forestry, environmental justice, and climate resilience. My research aims to co-create more liveable, equitable, and sustainable urban environments, grounded in an understanding of cities as complex social-ecological systems. Throughout my career, I have worked closely with communities and organisations across Canada and internationally—first as a community-based environmental planner and facilitator, and now as a researcher committed to participatory and justice-oriented approaches.

My work focuses on urban forestry and environmental justice, with particular attention to recognitional justice, green gentrification, and the role of urban nature in human health and well-being. I investigate how civic stewardship and plural knowledge systems and values can inform more inclusive and effective urban greening. I also explore how power and inequality shape access to and relationships with urban nature.

A growing focus of my research program is on climate justice and the potential—and limits—of so-called nature-based solutions to support just urban adaptation. Through my lab, we are advancing participatory methodologies that connect lived experiences to technical and policy solutions, with the goal of avoiding the unintended consequences of top-down, technocratic approaches to urban sustainability and climate planning.

My research is recognised internationally and contributes to theoretical, methodological, and practical advancements in equitable urban greening. I lead the Urban Natures Lab at the University of British Columbia, where we work in close partnership with community organisations, municipal governments, and interdisciplinary scholars to foster just and transformative urban futures.

---

Awards

Green College Leading Scholar (UBC) 2019

GIS Scholarship (Esri Canada) 2017

Gold Award for Excellence in Planning Practice (PIBC) 2014

---

Projects

See current projects at https://urbannatures.ca/