This book aims to outline the detailed process of integrating nature and cities in a historical context through the lens of urban environmental history, capturing how the most ordinary yet enduring natural forces have shaped the form of cities and the thoughts of individuals. It provides a detailed examination of the development trends, achievements, and existing issues in this field, and a profound understanding of the urgency and necessity of nurturing new ideas to guide cities out of their "ecological paradox". It also summarizes the formation and development, challenges, and missions of American cities centered around the core image of the "City Without Walls".

Shen Hou is Professor in the Department of History at Peking University, Beijing, China.

Li Ruitian, PhD, currently a lecturer at Xi’an International Studies University, holds translation and interpreting certificates from NAATI (Australia) and CATTI (China). Specializing in corpus-based translation studies and conference interpreting, he has published in SSCI-indexed journals and leads translation research projects.