By: Sarah Bekessy, Sarah has taught sustainability and urban planning at RMIT University since 2004.
Creating better connections between humans and nature is the first step to bringing animals back to our cities.
In the grassy bushland of the Adelaide Hills Barossa Valley, a fluffy little bird, no bigger than a ping pong ball, hops along the unmarked path – the Superb Fairy. A proud chest puffed up with sea feathers, perhaps after being crowned Australian Bird of the Year on several occasions. The striking blue cap that adorns its head in contrast to the muted greens and browns of the land is hard to miss – an encouraging result of the South Australian government’s conservation efforts.
But further south-west of Adelaide city lies much less habitable terrain for little bluebirds. Cities are hotspots for plants and animals which are threatened with extinction. Habitats of some of the most critical endangered plants, animals and even entire ecosystems are being destroyed at an alarming rate to accommodate urban sprawl. Australia’s urbanization has grown steadily since 2002, reaching its highest growth rate on record in 2020. And it’s set to continue growing as we clean up nature to make room for homes, to highways, parking lots and backyard pools.
As a result, Australian species like the koala are disappearing before our eyes. The same goes for those you may not have heard of, like the mighty owls, the earless grassland dragon, the southern brown bandicoot. Or wildflowers like Sunflower Orchids and Button Wrinkle.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Creating urban environments that preserve biodiversity through careful planning, design and architecture can bring nature back to our cities. With policy overhaul and smart design, cities could be safe havens for species to thrive and recover.
An important first step is to reframe how nature is taken into account in urban planning. Rather than seeing nature as a constraint, or a “problem” to be dealt with, it can be an important asset and opportunity. It is a valuable resource that must be preserved and maximized at all stages of planning and design. This means regulating carefully to ensure the protection of remaining natural assets – from patches of vegetation to isolated trees. Otherwise, it is too easy to cut back vegetation to make way for development.
Mitigating the impacts of development and creating better connections between humans and nature is the first step in biodiversity-sensitive urban designs. New construction should assess whether there are ecologically threatened species in the area and retain existing native plants and vegetation as much as possible during development.
Working with developers, designers, councils, community groups and traditional owners to decide which species to target will help with conservation. Species can be chosen on the basis of their charisma or cultural importance. Or that they provide an important ecosystem service like pollination. The cities of Melbourne and Adelaide, for example, have specifically chosen vegetation that will enhance the habitats of birds like the magpie.
Cities can be hostile places for plants and animals. The next step is to figure out how they will have food, shelter, and water to survive, away from threats and predators. In many cases, planting native vegetation can provide much needed food and shelter. Additionally, new solutions, such as biodiverse green roofs, habitat boxes and insect hotels can also provide food and shelter for a range of animals in cities. Stormwater runoff, which can negatively impact native plants and animals such as frogs, can be mitigated by vegetated swales and rain gardens. Space is highly contested in cities, so finding places where vegetation can benefit people and biodiversity is essential.
Installing bird-friendly glass can prevent death or injury from bird collisions and wildlife-friendly lighting is designed to be safe for light-sensitive species like moths. Integrating birdhouses into the exterior walls of buildings provides safe homes and can encourage breeding. Road underpasses can also ensure the safety of animals from cars.
Nature in cities provides a multitude of additional benefits to endangered species and people. Local biodiversity can create a unique sense of place and is an important opportunity to connect with and have respect for First Nations history and culture. “Everyday nature” offers a remarkable range of benefits for physical and mental well-being and can help make our cities more resilient to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, storms and floods.
While residual vegetation, parks and waterways will be essential elements of the ecological network, biodiversity-sensitive urban design also highlights the potential of the built components of our cities to provide essential resources for other species. Other opportunities to incorporate nature for people and other species include streetscapes, backyards, green walls, green roofs, roundabouts, pop-up parks, schoolyards , transport routes and courtyards of office buildings.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.
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