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THE NATURE OF CITIES
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 461668772 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C60 · Environment · Small ($100K-$1M) · thenatureofcities.com
revenue
$358K
expenses
$361K
net assets
$-11K
employees
0
program ratio
0%
mission · from form 990

DESIGN AND CREATION OF BETTER CITIES FOR ALL RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE, LIVABLE, AND JUST.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Nature of Cities is a nonprofit organization based in New York that focuses on the design and creation of resilient, sustainable, livable, and just cities. It operates a digital platform that shares knowledge and fosters dialogue on urban nature, environmental justice, and city planning. The organization serves a global audience of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers interested in urban sustainability.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Open Calls for Submissions
Periodically issues calls for artistic and scholarly contributions on urban nature and cities, some of which are open to participants under 18 with parental consent
TNOC Mailing List and Newsletters
Distributes periodic newsletters with updates on TNOC publications, events, and related news to subscribers
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Academic Research Dissemination 2 activities
    • Conducting participatory research and knowledge synthesis from summits and workshops
      Produces essays, roundtables, short videos, and public reports from Seed Session workshops and plenary talks at the TNOC Summit. Also makes over 1,500 summit photos available publicly via Flickr.
    • Publishing interdisciplinary content through an open-access virtual magazine
      Operates an open-access online magazine publishing transdisciplinary articles, essays, forums, and stories from global contributors on urbanism at the intersection of science, design, planning, and art. Also distributes periodic newsletters to subscribers.
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 2 activities
    • Leading global narrative and storytelling initiatives through contests and publications
      Organizes international flash fiction contests inviting visions of urban-nature futures, such as a 2099-themed contest receiving 1,200 submissions from 116 countries, resulting in published anthologies like "A Flash of Silver Green."
    • Producing narrative and artistic projects on urban nature
      Creates and publishes creative works including NBS Comics: Nature to Save the World (with over one million readers), Sprout Poetry Journal, The Nature of Graffiti gallery, and fiction anthologies such as Stories of the Nature of Cities and "A Flash of Silver Green" featuring global submissions. Also conducts open calls for artistic submissions, including from youth.
  • Urban Policy and Equity Research 1 activity
    • Co-producing research publications and essay series on urban equity and justice
      Produces and copublishes research-based publications including The Just City Essays series and book (with NextCity and The J. Max Bond Center), a collection of 26 essays on urban equity from 22 cities, available in multiple digital formats.
  • Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
    • Implementing artist residencies and interdisciplinary workshops
      Runs NaturePLACE artist residencies and similar programs that embed artists with scientists and community partners to co-create narratives on urban ecology. Includes partnerships with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and family workshops in Hawaii exploring traditional woodworking and forest conservation.
  • Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 1 activity
    • Organizing the TNOC Festival and related transdisciplinary events
      Convenes live and online events, including the TNOC Festival and Summit, that integrate conference, art exhibition, and retreat elements to address urban-nature challenges. Events have been held in Paris (2019), virtually, and Berlin (2024), with public symposia focused on urban nature, design, and placemaking.
  • Uncategorized 5 activities
    • Co-hosting workshops for environmental stewardship and resilience
      Co-hosted a national workshop with the USDA Forest Service on stewardship, recovery, and resilience, convening approximately 60 practitioners and researchers, and co-edited a U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report compiling case studies on community-based environmental stewardship in disaster recovery.
    • Contributing to academic and professional resources in urban environmental education
      Published pre-release chapters and produced a full 30-chapter book titled Urban Environmental Education Review to support university courses and professional development for urban environmental educators.
    • Documenting urban-nature integration through transcontinental fieldwork
      Completed a three-year, 14,000+ kilometer walking journey from Bangkok to Barcelona, publishing perspectives, photos, and podcasts on urban equity and nature integration gathered along the route.
    • Participating in European research projects on nature-based solutions
      Engages in Horizon Europe research initiatives including NetworkNature+, HARVEST (as co-lead), and RELATE4NATURE through TNOC-Europe, conducting place-based, integrative research on urban nature and sustainability.
    • Supporting knowledge-sharing platforms for nature-based solutions
      Supports NetworkNature+, a resource platform fostering cooperation to expand the impact of Nature-based Solutions, and develops educational and research materials on green infrastructure, biodiversity, and urban ecosystems for practitioners and communities.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$358K
Contributions & grants$358K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$361K
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead100%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$83K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$886
Cash$886
Investments$0
Liabilities$12K
Net assets$-11K
Liquid reserves0.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +58.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DAVID MADDOX EXECTIVE DIRECTOR 50 $11K
board members · 10
  • CHANTAL VAN HAM — VICE CHAIR
  • DAVID HALEY — BOARD MEMBER
  • GILLES LECUIR — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARCUS COLLIER — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARTA CECILIA FAJARDO — SECRETARY
  • MARY W ROWE — BOARD MEMBER
  • MIKE HOUCK — TREASURER
  • PIPPIN ANDERSON — TREASURER
  • ROBIN LASSER — BOARD MEMBER
  • SIOBHAN MCQUAID — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 47

Who they work with

  • ArtsEverywhere.ca Partner — Collaborated on the "Stories of The Nature of Cities" project to explore creative visions of future cities through art and storytelling.
  • ArtsEverywhere.ca Partner — Sponsor of the "City in a Wild Garden" anthology publication
  • BioDiversa+ Partner — Collaborated on the Science2Story comics-from-science project.
  • BioDiversa+ Partner — Partnered to create comics from science through the Science2Story project.
  • Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab Partner — Collaborated on assembling a team of scholars and professionals to contribute to the Urban Environmental Education Review.
  • Cornell University Press Government — Partnered with Cornell University Press for publication of the book "Urban Environmental Education Review".
  • Descanso Gardens Partner — Collaborates on The Roots of Cool, a project exploring trees and shade in urban environments
  • Ford Foundation Funder — Provided funding for the production of the Just City essays.
  • Frida Larios Partner — Designer of the TNOC Summit logo
  • Google Analytics Partner — Service provider used to monitor and analyze website traffic and service usage.
  • HARVEST Partner — Co-lead partner in a Horizon Europe project on urban nature
  • HARVEST Partner — Participated in the Horizon Europe project through TNOC-Europe.
  • HARVEST Partner — Participated in the Horizon project HARVEST through TNOC-Europe.
  • J. Max Bond Center on Design for the Just City Partner — Co-publisher of the Just City essays and collaborator on the project.
  • MailChimp Partner — Service provider used to manage mailing list and send newsletters.
  • Municipal Art Society of New York Partner — Provided support for the Just City essays project.
  • NetworkNature Partner — Collaborator on the NBS Comics project and other nature-based solutions initiatives
  • NetworkNature+ Partner — Participated in the Horizon Europe project through TNOC-Europe.
  • NetworkNature+ Partner — Participated in the Horizon project NetworkNature+ through TNOC-Europe.
  • NetworkNature+ Partner — Supports NetworkNature+ as a resource platform for Nature-based Solutions
  • NetworkNaturePlus Partner — Partner in a Horizon Europe project focused on nature-based solutions
  • New York Urban Field Station Partner — Sponsor of the "City in a Wild Garden" anthology publication
  • New York Urban Field Station Partner — Sponsored the flash fiction contest and book publication project; individuals from the station participated in the editorial review process.
  • Next City Partner — Co-produces The Just City Essays on urban equity and justice
  • Next City Partner — Co-publisher of the Just City essays and collaborator on the project.
  • NextCity Partner — Copublished The Just City Essays book.
  • PUBLICATION STUDIO Partner — Publisher and distributor of The Nature of Cities' book series
  • Publication Studio Partner — Published and distributed the book "A Flash of Silver Green" as part of a collaborative project with The Nature of Cities.
  • RELATE4NATURE Partner — Participated in the Horizon Europe project through TNOC-Europe.
  • RELATE4NATURE Partner — Participated in the Horizon project RELATE4NATURE through TNOC-Europe.
+ 17 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art and Imagination as Methods of Inquiry and Futures Thinking
    methodology: art-based_inquiry
    By using art, story, metaphor, and fiction as modes of inquiry, the organization generates transformative visions of future cities because imaginative engagement enables deeper understanding of complex urban-nature relationships and inspires alternative sustainable pathways that data-driven approaches alone cannot achieve.
  • Participatory and Community-Based Collaboration for Equitable Urban Stewardship
    methodology: participatory_stewardship
    By employing participatory methods and recognizing community-based stewardship practices, the organization fosters inclusive collaboration and social resilience in urban environmental efforts because collective identity, place attachment, and local knowledge strengthen long-term engagement and equity in urban greening.
  • Scaling Local Innovations Through Global Knowledge Networks
    methodology: local_to_global_scaling
    By connecting local urban-nature practices with global ideas through publications, partnerships, and events, the organization scales effective strategies because bridging context-specific action with broader networks amplifies impact and enables cross-context learning.
  • Transdisciplinary Integration of Arts, Science, and Practice
    methodology: transdisciplinary_integration
    By integrating art, science, and practice through transdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue, the organization advances equitable and imaginative urban greening because diverse ways of knowing generate more creative, inclusive, and effective solutions to urban ecological challenges.