Nature-positive futures in rapidly expanding Asian megacities

Asian megacities are undergoing rapid transformation, with urban expansion driven both by demographic pressures and evolving socio-economic dynamics. Two urban forms are particularly prevalent across the region: informal settlements – typically characterised by high densities, insecure land tenure, and diverse forms of social organisation – and masterplanned private cities, or “new towns,” often designed for medium- to high-income residents and marketed as sustainable, green enclaves. Both urban forms demand a nuanced, contextualised interpretation of what “living in harmony with nature” means in practice, and how global biodiversity and sustainability ambitions can be meaningfully translated into local urban planning practice.

This presentation will outline recent research that applies the Nature Futures Framework, a "flexible tool" promoted by IPBES, to assess the plural values of nature within informal settlement upgrading programs and new towns. By examining how residents, planners, and community organisations understand and engage with nature, the work aims to illuminate the diversity of value perspectives embedded within rapidly urbanising Asian landscapes.

Drawing on empirical data from the two megacities of Bangkok, Thailand, and Jakarta, Indonesia, I will present methodological insights, including the strengths and limitations of integrating plural valuation into urban research and planning. Two emerging findings will be highlighted. First, in informal settlement upgrading programs, we find opportunities to enhance relational and instrumental values of nature, particularly through community gardens and small-scale green interventions that strengthen social ties and support livelihoods. Second, despite new towns’ rhetoric around sustainability, we find limited evidence that ecosystem-based planning principles manifest in distinct urban forms or practices. This suggests that significant barriers remain – from governance and incentives to market pressures – that hinder the integration of ecosystem-based approaches into private-sector-led development. Overall, the research provides empirical insights into emerging planning practices and how plural values of nature can support inclusive and “nature-positive” urban futures in Asia and beyond.