Embracing Nature-Inclusive Urban Development: Shifting from Design-Centric Approaches to Sustainable Growth and Management of Natural Capital

Biodiversity in Europe is in a precarious state. In spite of decades of government policies designed to preserve nature, less than half of Europe’s original biodiversity remains intact. The surviving nature in these urbanized areas is highly vulnerable because the number of green spaces and the connections between them have been further reduced by urban development. The situation is also detrimental for human beings, given that nature represents considerable social value and delivers health benefits by way of ecosystem services.

The EU has responded by formulating a Nature Restoration Law that will require member states to ensure that the net growth of green space will be an additional 3 per cent of the total urban area by 2040. The construction and landscape industries are also keen to give nature a bigger role in area development, but the path from ambition to realization and management is a challenging one. In area development projects, if budget cuts need to be made, nature-inclusive ambitions
simply have to battle it out with other ambitions. One of the reasons could be that the value of nature-inclusive only starts to be created after completion, but if nature development is not properly managed, encouraged and maintained, all the planning and design work will have been for nothing. In project-based planning practice, however, budgets and project teams only cover the planning process and realization. How post-completion costs and management are shared normally falls outside the (scope of the) planning process. It is imperative to shift from a purely design-focused approach to one that emphasizes the active management and nurturing of our natural resources.

This conference contribution revisits the pioneering eco-districts established in Europe during the late twentieth century. It examines the role that the management of green-blue infrastructure plays in delivering benefits for residents and nature. Practical solutions will be provided to combat climate change and improve citizens’ health and wellbeing through improved management and promising planning instruments. For instance, the operation and advantages of pioneering international points systems for greening urban areas and fostering the growth of natural capital in cities will be discussed.

Photo: Olivier van Breugel