Synergies for Biodiversity in Urban Areas: Lessons from a Multi-Stakeholder Working Group in Switzerland

Integrating biodiversity into urban environments presents complex policy challenges, particularly in the context of rapid urban growth and increasing pressure on open and green spaces. Urban development often prioritizes housing, infrastructure, and economic interests, which can conflict with biodiversity objectives. Aligning these priorities requires not only political will but also dedicated resources – both human and financial. Expertise and time are essential for fostering collaboration among stakeholders from diverse sectors, yet these resources are unevenly distributed. Larger cities typically have greater capacity to invest in biodiversity initiatives, while smaller municipalities often face significant constraints. However, smaller towns collectively represent a substantial portion of Switzerland’s urban landscape, making their inclusion critical for achieving national biodiversity goals and ensuring ecological connectivity across regions.

Recognizing this need, the Translational Center Biodiversity Conservation has established a working group to explore synergies that enable municipalities of varying sizes to incorporate biodiversity into their urban planning. This transdisciplinary group, comprising experts from science and practice, has examined common challenges and opportunities, identified practical strategies, and developed tools to support implementation of biodiversity projects. Key learnings include the importance of cross-sectoral dialogue, leveraging existing planning processes, and creating scalable solutions adaptable to different municipal contexts. These approaches aim to reduce barriers and promote biodiversity as an integral component of urban development rather than an isolated objective, fostering long-term sustainability.

In this contribution, we share the main insights from our work, highlight examples of successful biodiversity integration, and introduce the resulting product designed to assist municipalities in embedding biodiversity considerations into their development agendas. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, we aim to bridge gaps between policy, practice, and science. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to more resilient, ecologically rich urban spaces across Switzerland, ensuring that biodiversity is not sidelined but becomes a cornerstone of sustainable urban growth and proactive environmental stewardship.