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Cities and urban centers present significant opportunities for biodiversity conservation. However, leveraging these opportunities requires a paradigm shift that integrates biodiversity into the urban fabric. Planning for non-human species alongside human needs does not demand a conceptual leap but offers a crucial opportunity to foster dialogue between built-environment professionals and conservationists.
Metropolitan areas, often stripped of natural elements, are frequently located in biodiversity-rich zones, heightening the need to preserve these ecosystems. Despite the challenges of rapid urbanization, cities and towns provide unique opportunities to harmonize metropolitan growth with the protection and regeneration of natural environments. By integrating thoughtful design and planning strategies, urban areas can support sustainable coexistence between the built and natural worlds.
Urban planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers, and related professionals play a pivotal role in this shift, extending the scope of planning beyond human-centered needs.
This approach requires a deep transformation in how cities are conceived, embracing a perspective that acknowledges the interconnected relationship between humanity and nature. It recognizes that humans are not separate from the natural world but an intrinsic part of it.
Adopting a systemic and circular vision—one that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all elements in the environment—is essential to mitigate environmental impacts and ensure the survival of diverse species. The concept of territory as a shared space among multiple species becomes fundamental. Combining the principles of territory and kinship enhances opportunities to preserve biodiversity in urban settings.
Green Public Spaces in Urban Infrastructure
Urban parks and green public spaces are essential components of multifunctional green infrastructure, fostering ecosystem development while promoting human well-being. These spaces serve as hubs of interaction, where disciplines such as architecture and urbanism converge to create environments that connect people, fauna, flora, and the natural world.
Moreover, they act as open-air laboratories for testing innovative techniques, sustainable materials, and efficient water management systems. Green spaces also bridge the gap between urban and coastal zones, propose new patterns of occupation and mobility, and rehabilitate degraded areas in vulnerable sectors, fostering collaboration between humans and ecosystems.
From an architectural perspective, biodiversity is about integrating and coexisting with diverse life forms in urban spaces. This involves designing and planning in ways that promote native species and regenerate ecosystems. Architecture, in this context, becomes a tool for ecological conservation—creating spaces that are not only human-centric but also sustainable for multiple species, balancing urban development with environmental preservation.
Designing a Bio-Inclusive Future
The integration of biodiversity in urban areas is gaining traction globally, with initiatives focusing on ecological preservation, regeneration, and adaptation of metropolitan environments.
Colombia, renowned for its biodiversity, has committed to projects that protect urban nature while enhancing citizen well-being. Its current administration champions a strategy of "producing while conserving and conserving while producing," reflected in cities like Barranquilla and Montería, where nature-based solutions are being integrated into urban planning.
In Bogotá, the 57-kilometer ecological corridor connecting urban forests in the eastern hills exemplifies bio-inclusive urbanism. This green space absorbs carbon, purifies the air, and supports the migration, feeding, and reproduction of various species while offering visitors immersive pedestrian pathways that connect them with nature.
Singapore, despite its small land area, is home to 40,000 animal species and plans to expand green spaces by 1,000 hectares over the next decade. Initiatives include ponds designed to encourage dragonfly breeding, a natural method of mosquito population control that helps combat dengue. These spaces not only enhance urban biodiversity but also promote healthier, safer environments for residents.
London is advancing its "gray to green" initiative by transforming 50% of the city with green roofs, walls, and micro-parks while increasing urban forestation by 10%. It has designated 1,500 ecological conservation sites to protect native species such as bats, owls, butterflies, and beetles. In Bangkok, the Benjakitti Forest Park, built on a former tobacco factory site, integrates ecology and social well-being. Acting as a “sponge,” it retains rainwater and purifies canal water through bioremediation, combining sustainability and water management in one of Southeast Asia’s densest capitals.
Toward a New Urban Paradigm
According to the UN, more than half the global population now lives in cities, which are responsible for 75% of global carbon emissions. The COVID-19 crisis, coupled with climate change, has accelerated the need to transform the relationship between cities and nature. With an estimated 1.5 million people migrating to urban areas each week until 2030, this transformation is increasingly urgent.
Humanity faces a unique opportunity to rethink its development model and move toward cities that harmonize with the natural world. The BiodiverCities by 2030 initiative aims to turn urban areas into resilient, biodiverse spaces. According to the Future of Nature and Business report, shifting to a nature-positive urban model could unlock $3 trillion in annual business opportunities and create 117 million jobs by 2030.
Beyond adopting a systemic perspective that highlights interconnectedness, the concept of territory plays a critical role in mitigating harm and supporting the survival of diverse species, including humans.
When urban planning integrates conservation and fosters respectful ecological relationships, it establishes the foundation for sustainable practices.
This paradigm shift goes beyond technical adaptations. It reimagines cities not merely as human habitats but as shared territories that respect and protect all species.
