Lego world shows Nova Scotians how cities and nature can click

An urban designer in Halifax wants to teach people how to live in harmony with nature by building tiny models cities — out of Lego.

Christine Hempel created an exhibit called Design With Nature, Design With Lego that's on display at the Halifax Public Libraries.

It looks at how cities are built and how they interact with nature.

The model includes creeks that are integrated into the city landscape, land for farming, a green space next to the hospital, insect and animal observation centres, a farmers' market and land bridges for wildlife.

"Can we design our cities so that [nature] can still flourish along with the people? The buildings are very integrated with the surroundings," Hempel told CBC's Kyah Sparks about the model in a recent interview.

Her model shows that cities can be built in a compact way to protect wildlife and the environment, which she says can also benefit human well-being.

"I've got a skateboard park [in the model] where the teenagers are able to play on the very different rock types that are at the cliff edge," she said.

"And the assumption is, if we grow up bonded to the landscape, that we will be more rooted to our community and therefore more protective of it and more interested in staying and that gives us the opportunity to connect with each other as well."

Hempel is the first artist and innovator in residence for the Halifax Public Libraries. 

She said she was inspired to build the model because urban designers are often taught to ignore nature. "We should be doing things differently. There's still room for a lot of beauty and joy in a city that's designed with these sustainability principles," she said.

Her Lego model will be on display at the Woodlawn Public Library until Sept. 12. It will travel between branches until June.

Hempel recently gave Amy Smith, the host of CBC Nova Scotia News At Six, a tour of the eco-city.

Check out the model and watch their conversation here: