Although nature in the form of “environment” has sometimes been part of sociological discussions of the city, it is typically treated as background, as a social construction, or as a metaphor for social processes. Less familiar is a view of nature as an active participant in a relationship of codetermination, an “actor” that constructs outcomes along with human beings in the communities that they inhabit. in this essay, I explore this more agentic reading of nature, bringing together insights from environmental and urban/community sociology. I explore four areas in which taken–for–granted boundaries between nature and city are shifting: ecological restoration projects, human–animal interactions, “postnatural” environments of toxic pollution, and simulated/artificial environments that substitute for nature. I suggest that urban sociology would benefit from a socioecological approach that enriches our understanding of nature and city and that allows us to participate more fully in discussions of sustainability.
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