Promoting Urban Biodiversity Through the Built Environment

by Blake Jackson

The demand for urban living is only expected to rise with 68% the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050, according to United Nations data. As designers and planners, we have a responsibility to not only prepare our cities for growth, but also ensure this development doesn’t come at the price of designing nature completely out of our cities.

Incorporating wildlife habitats into urban developments and infrastructure is an imperative for the balance of our ecosystem, for our own well-being, and, frankly, for our survival. We depend on nature for food, to provide and filter our air, to provide us with sources of water, and for overall well-being.

How then can cities be designed for people and nature to coexist symbiotically? This will rely on a combination of macro and micro strategies being implemented over a long period of time. Luckily, many of these initiatives are underway in cities across the globe, providing an opportunity for broad adoption here at home:

• Bird collisions. Since our most populous cities align with migratory paths, glass architecture causes millions of bird collisions and deaths annually. Some cities, however, are looking to reverse this trend. In 2011, San Francisco was the first city to require bird-safe buildings. Strategies such as limiting glazing proportions and technologies with embedded patterns only visible to birds have reduced collisions.
• Bird habitats. The swift population in the United Kingdom once had a symbiotic relationship with cities when all buildings had functional chimneys, providing nesting habitats during summers when not in use. However, since chimneys have gone out of fashion, the swift population has diminished. There are growing efforts across the UK to introduce faux-chimneys, nest boxes, and even buildings with specially designed nesting bricks to support swift habitats.
• Bat habitats. While broadly losing habitat, some cities embrace bat culture. The bat population in Austin, Texas, is as famous as the 6th Street music scene. The Congress Avenue Bridge houses over 2 million bats, as its design is (unintentionally) perfect for these nocturnal creatures, providing cool, dark conditions. One of Austin’s major sunset attractions is to watch them leaving in a constant stream.
• Beekeeping. Urban beekeeping has been a growing trend around the country, providing a safe space for the bees, a benefit to humans, and a crucial element in the health of adjacent parks/green roofs. For example, the Boston Seaport Hotel houses a rooftop beehive where honey produced is used in the restaurant.
• Animals on the move. Our transportation network is responsible for countless animal fatalities. But some communities are working to address this challenge. The Montana Department of Transportation worked with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on a highway-widening project to create 41 fish and wildlife underpasses and overpasses. These connections establish spatial continuity for native animals, which has also proven to benefit humans by helping to avoid loss of life and property damage from animal collisions.
• Green roofs. Many U.S. cities, such as Denver and Chicago, are requiring that new construction and major renovation projects must incorporate green rooftops. This not only benefits the building through increased insulation and heat island reduction, but it also provides a space for migratory birds and plant life to reintegrate into the urban context — a benefit for each.

Tactics like these also offer human benefits through education, appreciation, and, in some instances, job creation. More importantly, they can also increase resiliency and biophilia — each lacking across all urbanized environments. The aforementioned green roof policies support enhanced stormwater management practices and reduce GHG emissions in buildings. From a mental health perspective, views onto nature have been proven to support better concentration and stress relief.

Despite great odds, nature seeks balance relentlessly. It thrives in the oddest places. Humans forget they too are part of nature. There is no reason why we cannot thrive together with nature, not at the expense of one over the other.

 

Blake Jackson, AIA, LEED/WELL, is a member of the Stantec faculty.