Urban Biodiversity Through Sustainable Architecture and Urban Planning

Background: In recent years, ecologists, architects, urban planners and decision makers, and citizens have become more aware of the importance of biodiversity in cities, creating a renewed effort to make cities and new developments better suited towards natural habitats. Sustainable architecture and design practices have offered ground to significant discovery and innovation in the art of city-building. Methods: A literature review of current practices in the Western world of the last twenty years and two case studies will be used to illustrate current efforts and future directions of biodiversity preservation. Summary: Integrating building strategies and holistic urban ecosystem development, compounded by encouraging interdisciplinary approaches that promote collaborative and bottom-up urban planning through community activism are the main trends in current sustainable city-building. The literature review is far from exhaustive and requires a historical perspective to better understand implications of past and present sustainability efforts. The paper serves as introduction to a promising field. Relationships between biodiversity preservation and urban planning and design need to be reinforced in order to build a more connected, healthy, and resilient community.