Biology
Cities nowadays are the most significant source of environmental degradation threatening
local and global ecosystems. Interestingly, many ancient settlements present excellent lessons and
inspiration for addressing our current urban predicaments, given their environmental stewardship.
This research explores how the ecologically embedded settlement patterns, building configurations,
urban agriculture and home gardening, and water conservation of the Maya-built environment can
offer insights about mitigating contemporary urban sustainability challenges. Mayans’ respect for
nature not only guaranteed sustainable habitats but also engendered one of the most remarkable
civilizations in a region that did not offer generous support for human accommodation. The Mayan
world view promoted the idea of one spirit dwelling in all humans and other-than-human entities
in an environment, making everything sacred and kin to everything else. The regional climate was
kept under control by protecting the vegetation that also provided other ecological benefits. Land
use was mixed, and residences were constructed with native and recyclable materials utilizing natural light and ventilation. The Mayan civilization inspires us to manage and protect plants, not cut
them down; conserve water, not waste it; listen to the environmental feedback, not reject it; and,
most importantly, it begs us to embrace nature as our own mother, not disown it as something
dispensable. These principles have significant implications on urban land-use planning and policies
today.Lecturer, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University Saudi Arabia
Source: https://www.academia.edu/68693914/Ecological_Embeddedness_in_the_Maya_Built_Environment_Inspiration_for_Contemporary_Cities
Courtesy: www.academia.edu
Copyright: doi.org/10.3390/land10121360 © 2021 by the authors.
