Species

Designing for biodiversity in Aotearoa’s urban environments brings a wide range of interconnected benefits across social, ecological, cultural, and climate domains. Design for biodiversity is not only about supporting native species, it is also about supporting people, communities, and addressing the pressing challenges we face, such as climate adaptation, equity, and public health [1]. When we design urban spaces to work with nature rather than against it, we create opportunities for regeneration, resilience, and reconnection [2]. This section outlines seven key co-benefits that emerge when biodiversity is a foundational element of urban design:

  • Human Wellbeing
  • Climate Change Adaptation
  • Disaster Risk Reduction and Increased Resilience
  • Empowerment and Equity
  • Food Security
  • Freshwater Security
  • Waste and Pollution Management

References:

  1. Garrard, G. E., Williams, N. S., Mata, L., Thomas, J., & Bekessy, S. A. (2018). Biodiversity sensitive urban design. Conservation Letters, 11(2), e12411.
  2. Pedersen Zari. M., G.L Kiddle; V. Chanse; S. Bloomfield; A. Latai-Niusulu; M. Abbott; P. Blaschke; S. Mihaere; O. Brockie; M. Grimshaw; A. Platje; K. Varshney; S. Ershadi (2024). NUWAO Nature-based Solutions Design Guide. Auckland: NUWAO. Available online at www.nuwao.org.nz. 

Human wellbeing

All strategies in this design for biodiversity guide contribute to human wellbeing, especially when we recognise that humans are part of ecosystems, not separate from them [1]. Biodiverse environments, through complex causation pathways, support mental, emotional, physical, and possibly also cultural wellbeing [2, 3]. Contact with nature improves mood, reduces stress, encourages physical activity, and supports cognitive health [4]. Native planting, restoration, habitat creation, and visible ecological processes can foster a sense of belonging and intergenerational connection [5]. In Aotearoa, wellbeing is also relational; deeply tied to te taiao (the living world), whenua (land), wai (water) and so on. Biodiversity-rich design can help restore these relationships, supporting hauora (health) and mauri (life force) for both people and place [6, 7]. To see the full list of strategies in this guide that relate to human wellbeing please see the alphabetical list.

References:

  1. Alberti, M., Marzluff, J. M., Shulenberger, E., Bradley, G., Ryan, C., & Zumbrunnen, C. (2003). Integrating humans into ecology: opportunities and challenges for studying urban ecosystems. BioScience, 53(12), 1169-1179.
  2. Hammoud, R., Tognin, S., Smythe, M., Gibbons, J., Davidson, N., Bakolis, I., & Mechelli, A. (2024). Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals an incremental association between natural diversity and mental wellbeing. Scientific reports, 14(1), 7051.
  3. Rodgers, M., Mercier, O. R., Kiddle, R., & Pedersen Zari, M. (2023). Plants of place: justice through (re) planting Aotearoa New Zealand’s urban natural heritage. Architecture_MPS, 25(1).
  4. Hartig, T., Mitchell, R., De Vries, S., & Frumkin, H. (2014). Nature and health. Annual review of public health, 35, 207-228.
  5. Furness, E. (2021). How participation in ecological restoration can foster a connection to nature. Restoration Ecology, 29(7), e13430.
  6. Moewaka Barnes, H., & McCreanor, T. (2019). Colonisation, hauora and whenua in Aotearoa. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 49, 19-33.
  7. Mihaere, S., Holman-Wharehoka, M., Mataroa, J., Kiddle, G. L., Pedersen Zari, M., Blaschke, P., & Bloomfield, S. (2024). Centring localised indigenous concepts of wellbeing in urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation: case-studies from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1278235.

Climate change adaptation

Integrating biodiversity into urban design can enhance resilience to climate change impacts [1, 2]. Vegetation can help cool urban areas and absorb and filter stormwater [3]. Green infrastructure, if designed well, can support adaptive responses to heatwaves, changing rainfall patterns, storms, and sea-level rise [4]. Biodiverse urban systems can also create urban environments that are more flexible, responsive, and resilient in the face of uncertainty [5].

References:

  1. Pedersen Zari, M., MacKinnon, M., Varshney, K., & Bakshi, N. (2022). Regenerative living cities and the urban climate–biodiversity–wellbeing nexus. Nature Climate Change, 12(7), 601-604.
  2. Butt, N., Shanahan, D. F., Shumway, N., Bekessy, S. A., Fuller, R. A., Watson, J. E., … & Hole, D. G. (2018). Opportunities for biodiversity conservation as cities adapt to climate change. Geo: Geography and Environment, 5(1), e00052.
  3. Muerdter, C. P., Wong, C. K., & LeFevre, G. H. (2018). Emerging investigator series: The role of vegetation in bioretention for stormwater treatment in the built environment: Pollutant removal, hydrologic function, and ancillary benefits. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 4(5), 592-612.
  4. Gill, S. E., Handley, J. F., Ennos, A. R., & Pauleit, S. (2007). Adapting cities for climate change: the role of the green infrastructure. Built environment, 33(1), 115-133.
  5. Schewenius, M., McPhearson, T., & Elmqvist, T. (2014). Opportunities for increasing resilience and sustainability of urban social–ecological systems: insights from the URBES and the cities and biodiversity outlook projects. Ambio, 43(4), 434-444.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Increased Resilience

Nature-based solutions that support biodiversity may also reduce the severity and frequency of natural, or human-made hazards [1]. Urban wetlands and riparian planting can slow and filter floodwaters for example [2]; vegetated slopes can stabilise land against erosion and slips [3]; and restored coastal dunes, mangroves, and estuaries can buffer storm surges and even tsunami to a certain extent [4]. Diverse ecosystems may recover more quickly after disturbance and offer layered protection to people, infrastructure, and cultural sites of importance [5]. Embedding biodiversity into the built environment typically supports safer, more resilient communities through different causation pathways.

References:

  1. Debele, S. E., Leo, L. S., Kumar, P., Sahani, J., Ommer, J., Bucchignani, E., … & Di Sabatino, S. (2023). Nature-based solutions can help reduce the impact of natural hazards: A global analysis of NBS case studies. Science of the Total Environment, 902, 165824.
  2. Haase, D. (2017). Urban wetlands and Riparian forests as a nature-based solution for climate change adaptation in cities and their surroundings. In Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas: Linkages between science, policy and practice (pp. 111-121). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  3. Hytiris, N. (2015). Enhancing slope stability with vegetation. International Journal of GEOMATE.
  4. Ash, C. (2019). Storm protection services. Science, 365(6448), 41-42.
  5. Elmqvist, T., Folke, C., Nyström, M., Peterson, G., Bengtsson, J., Walker, B., & Norberg, J. (2003). Response diversity, ecosystem change, and resilience. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 1(9), 488-494.

Freshwater security

Healthy ecosystems are fundamental to clean, abundant freshwater. Biodiverse urban catchments with wetlands, forested riparian zones, and pervious surfaces slow runoff and filter pollutants, and potentially recharge aquifers [1]. Restoring ecological function at the site and neighbourhood scale helps cities meet freshwater quality targets and protects downstream environments [2]. In the context of ki uta ki tai (from mountains to the sea), biodiversity-sensitive design, when designed carefully, can contribute to whole-catchment health and intergenerational water security [3].

References:

  1. Ferreira, C. S., Kašanin-Grubin, M., Solomun, M. K., Sushkova, S., Minkina, T., Zhao, W., & Kalantari, Z. (2023). Wetlands as nature-based solutions for water management in different environments. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 33, 100476.
  2. Walsh, C. J., Fletcher, T. D., Bos, D. G., & Imberger, S. J. (2015). Restoring a stream through retention of urban stormwater runoff: a catchment-scale experiment in a social–ecological system. Freshwater Science, 34(3), 1161-1168.
  3. van Roon, M. (2020). Demonstrating the need to simultaneously implement all water sensitive design methods for aquatic ecosystem health. Heliyon, 6(12).

Food security

Urban biodiversity may contribute to resilient local food systems in some instances [1]. Native pollinators, healthy soils, and seasonal planting all contribute to sustainable food production [2]. Community gardens, māra kai, and edible landscapes can be integrated into urban spaces to improve access to fresh food and create opportunities for social connection and knowledge exchange while supporting native species [3, 4]. Food-producing ecosystems can also restore relationships between people and place, emphasising reciprocity [5].

References: 

  1. Lin, B. B., & Egerer, M. H. (2017). Urban agriculture: an opportunity for biodiversity and food provision in urban landscapes. In Urban Biodiversity (pp. 71-86). Routledge.
  2. Potts, S. G., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V., Ngo, H. T., Biesmeijer, J. C., Breeze, T. D., Dicks, L. V., … & Vanbergen, A. J. (2016). The assessment report on pollinators, pollination and food production: summary for policymakers. Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
  3. Leigh, L., Randal, E., Logan, A., Witten, K., Olin, C. V., Chisholm, E., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2026). Cultivating wellbeing: healing effects of an urban māra kai (community garden) in community housing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Local environment, 31(2), 188-205.
  4. Hanna, C., & Wallace, P. (2022). Planning the urban foodscape: policy and regulation of urban agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 17(3), 313-335.
  5. Wickham, S. B., Augustine, S., Forney, A., Mathews, D. L., Shackelford, N., Walkus, J., & Trant, A. J. (2022). Incorporating place-based values into ecological restoration. Ecology and Society, 27(3).

Waste & pollution management

Biodiverse systems are able to manage certain wastes and pollution through decomposition, nutrient cycling, and phytoremediation in some contexts [1]. Design strategies such as vegetated swales, and constructed wetlands can process organic waste, absorb and potentially transform contaminants, and reduce the burden on engineered systems, waterways, and possibly marine environments [2, 3]. By designing with living systems, cities can perhaps shift toward circular  material flows that benefit both ecosystems and communities [4].

References:

  1. Kuppan, N., Padman, M., Mahadeva, M., Srinivasan, S., & Devarajan, R. (2024). A comprehensive review of sustainable bioremediation techniques: Eco friendly solutions for waste and pollution management. Waste management bulletin, 2(3), 154-171.
  2. Rodgers Jr, J. H., & Castle, J. W. (2008). Constructed wetland systems for efficient and effective treatment of contaminated waters for reuse. Environmental Geosciences, 15(1), 1-8.
  3. Davis, A. P., Traver, R. G., & Hunt, W. F. (2010). Improving urban stormwater quality: Applying fundamental principles. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 146(1), 3-10.
  4. Munonye, W. C., & Ajonye, G. O. (2024). The role of urban design in facilitating a circular economy: from linear to regenerative cities.


Empowerment & equity

Biodiversity-sensitive design may offer opportunities for community empowerment and environmental justice. When designedwith rather than for communities, nature-based strategies can reflect cultural identities, support Indigenous and local knowledge systems, and increase access to green space [1]. Co-stewardship models and participatory processes can ensure that the benefits of urban biodiversity are better shared, especially in areas historically underserved by ecological infrastructure [2, 3]. Biodiverse spaces, and restoration can become platforms for healing, self-determination, collective action, and the practice of positive Te Tiriti partnerships [4, 5].

References:

  1. Mihaere, S., Holman-Wharehoka, M., Mataroa, J., Kiddle, G. L., Pedersen Zari, M., Blaschke, P., & Bloomfield, S. (2024). Centring localised indigenous concepts of wellbeing in urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation: case-studies from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1278235.
  2. Andersson, E., Barthel, S., Borgström, S., Colding, J., Elmqvist, T., Folke, C., & Gren, Å. (2014). Reconnecting cities to the biosphere: stewardship of green infrastructure and urban ecosystem services. Ambio, 43(4), 445-453.
  3. McMillen, H. L., Campbell, L. K., Svendsen, E. S., Kealiikanakaoleohaililani, K., Francisco, K. S., & Giardina, C. P. (2020). Biocultural stewardship, Indigenous and local ecological knowledge, and the urban crucible. Ecology and Society, 25(2).
  4. Walker, E., Cox, M., Whaanga, H., & Wehi, P. (2026). ‘Okea ururoatia’: the role of Indigenous activism in the restoration and protection of nature. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 381(1942).
  5. Hall, M. M., Wehi, P. M., Whaanga, H., Walker, E. T., Koia, J. H., & Wallace, K. J. (2021). Promoting social and environmental justice to support Indigenous partnerships in urban ecosystem restoration. Restoration Ecology, 29(1), e13305.