Cities contribute to solutions that improve ecosystem health and human wellbeing, and at the same time, they damage and draw from the environment. Many cities have emerged as hubs where partners are collaborating to test and pilot innovative solutions. One such partner is the university, which has unique resources - knowledge capital, students and credibility - that can enable it to serve as a valuable collaborator with cities, NGOs and communities in rethinking the role of nature in cities. This research focuses on the following question: In seeking to integrate nature across the urban landscape, how does a university interact as a partner with stakeholders in a city? My working thesis is that universities can serve as an important partner in cities to help develop policies, plans and management practices that integrate nature and advance sustainability to strengthen urban ecological health and social justice. I utilize a qualitative approach, drawing from 1) ethnographic research practices and 2) the use of narrative from a social-ecological perspective. I focus on the urban area of Los Angeles, engaging more deeply university partners working to advance the integration of nature to benefit ecological health and human wellbeing, while also bringing in illustrative examples from other cities. I also involve the participation of other partners involved in this arena, such as city departments/bureaus, NGOs and private sector entities. While still in the early stages of this research, a description of this research and preliminary analysis will be shared in terms of perceptions of the role of the university and nature in the city, governance arrangements and social justice synergies. This research aims to contribute towards empirical and theoretical gaps in the literature pertaining to the integration of nature in cities and the role, perceptions and interactions of the university with other partners in this endeavor.