This session explores how cities can be reimagined as biodiversity-positive, climate-resilient, and socially inclusive spaces, where nature is not just conserved, but reintegrated into daily urban life. We ask: what does it mean to “live in harmony with nature” in urban contexts and how can this vision be realized?
Achieving this vision requires more than technical fixes: it demands for systemic approaches that address both biophysical and social drivers of change, rethinking cities as entangled systems of built and living elements. We invite contributions that integrate ecological, climatic, and social dimensions of urban transformation, and highlight how diverse values, preferences, and knowledges can guide equitable and adaptive planning. We especially welcome inter- and transdisciplinary work linking biotic and abiotic components (plants, animals, soil, water, climate) and community well-being (human and non-human life).
Key themes include:
- Pathways to biodiversity-positive and multispecies urban futures
- Urban green space design under climate and social pressures
- Intersections of plant traits, community assembly, and microclimate regulation
- Social and ecological drivers of urban vegetation selection and care
- Strategies aligning biodiversity, resilience, and human well-being
- Inclusive governance, relational values, and cross-sector collaboration
In response to the current biodiversity crisis, various efforts have emerged to develop pathways toward nature-positive futures that align with the goals and targets of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). However, the social sciences and humanities remain underrepresented in these studies. This is problematic, as it risks neglecting issues of justice and equity and may inadvertently reproduce unjust or unsustainable relations. In this paper, we address the need to imagine and develop scenarios for achieving the GBF goals and targets in a just manner. We argue that just, nature-positive pathways—developed through inclusive and participatory processes—are essential for informing transformative policy and inspiring equitable action. In doing so, we respond to calls for more inclusive explorations of futures informed by the social sciences. A cross-cutting element in this study is the concept of justice. We use justice as a lens to interrogate underlying power dynamics, structural inequities, and trade-offs between actors’ stakes and goals in processes of transformative societal change. We explicitly aim to contribute to the operationalization of the GBF vision "Living in Harmony with Nature" and what this would mean for different sectors or fields of application. Drawing primarily on insights from the social sciences and humanities, we present a conceptual framework for developing such pathways. This framework aims to support the creation of just, nature-positive pathways toward the GBF goals that account for the plurality of perspectives, values, and imaginaries present in society. In a second phase, we will use the framework for participatory development of pathways in three diverse, critical groups of actors for transformative change: those in cities, landscape and value chains. Therefore, we mobilize a range of disciplines, from ecology and economics to political science and anthropology, as well as sources of knowledge outside of traditional academia. Here, we share preliminary results and insights from just, nature-positive pathways for cities, drawing both conclusions that are specific to cities and insights that are more widely applicable.
How to cite: Schoolenberg, M. and Rutting, L.: Exploring just, nature-positive pathways: what would living in harmony with nature mean for cities?, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-852, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-852, 2026.
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.
How to cite: Hamel, P., Shaikh, F. E., Wolff, E., Rauf, H. A., Gohain Baruah, A., Ng, S., Lubis, M., Natakun, B., and Wijitbusaba, A. M.: Nature-positive futures in rapidly expanding Asian megacities, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-428, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-428, 2026.
As the world continues to urbanize, the capacity to confront climate change and broader sustainability challenges is increasingly intertwined with the fate of cities. Urban areas represent a double-edged sword: they are major drivers of emissions and ecological degradation, yet they also serve as crucial sites of experimentation, innovation, and transformative possibility. Among the multiple crises affecting cities in the 21st century, one of the most consequential may be a crisis of imagination—the diminishing collective capacity to envision futures beyond the constraints of the present. Imagination, understood as the ability to conceive alternatives, is increasingly recognized as vital for shaping sustainable futures. Yet accelerating climate impacts, widening inequality, and ecological degradation often leave little space for imagining positive possibilities.
Urban imaginaries—shared narratives and visions of idealized futures—have long guided urban development, emerging as constellations of ideas circulating across policy, design, media, and public discourse. Despite diverse cultural and geographic contexts, contemporary imaginaries appear to be converging rather than expanding, heightening the risk of reproducing familiar and insufficiently transformative trajectories. This raises a pressing question: how do we cultivate alternative visions capable of reorienting cities toward more just and sustainable futures?
To address this gap, the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) undertook a coordinated effort with nine cities across the United States and Latin America to co-produce positive long-term futures. Between 2017 and 2020, these participatory processes generated over 45 visions and nearly 1,500 strategies for building resilience and enabling transformative change in Baltimore (MD), Hermosillo (Mexico), Miami (FL), New York (NY), Phoenix (AZ), Portland (OR), San Juan (PR), Syracuse (NY), and Valdivia (Chile).
Eight distinct future imaginaries emerged from this work, each contributing to, expanding upon, and challenging dominant city archetypes, including connected cities, ecocities, smart cities, friendly cities, and just cities. The analysis also advances conceptualizations of heat-resilient and flood-resilient urban futures. By examining patterns across visions, strategies, and actors, the paper offers a rare snapshot of contemporary urban imaginaries in the Anthropocene and provides insights into how cities across the Americas imagine—and seek to shape—their long-term futures.
How to cite: Berbés-Blázquez, M., Cook, E., Grimm, N., Iwaniec, D., Kim, Y., Mannetti, L., and Muñoz-Erickson, T.: Social-ecological-technological imaginaries for cities in the 21st century, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-189, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-189, 2026.
In light of the need to build transformative change in a world with interconnected crises, old and new narratives around the integration of nature in cities and, ultimately, human-nature relationships, have increasingly gained space in debates about urban futures. Central to this transformative vision are the imaginaries embodied in urban planning policies, which reflect (and/or define) how nature is valued, integrated and imagined in the cities of the future. Imaginaries influence what is seen as possible, desirable, or inevitable; they frame debates, inspire action, reflect, define and legitimize specific visions of urban futures and the values that underpin them.
In the EU project NATURESCAPES, we explore the values, visions and imaginaries around urban nature and nature-based solutions in three key policy documents: master plans, climate and biodiversity plans. We compare these three “official” perspectives on NBS and human–nature relations in twelve cities (in Europe, Latin America, USA), and identify emerging typologies of urban ‘official imaginaries’ reflecting on futures being promoted by policy actors, and any transformative drive being supported.
Our analytical framework builds upon the IPBES Values Assessment (IPBES, 2022) and its definition of intrinsic, relational, and instrumental values (“nature for nature”, “nature as culture”, and “nature for society”, respectively). Our methodology draws on document analysis and qualitative coding of how policies frame human–nature relations, goals, and spatial logics (e.g., corridors, preserves, urban forests).
Our analysis includes (1) mapping and critically comparing the emerging nature-related visions, and values attributed to urban nature and human-nature relations, in 36 official documents, exploring what dominates and what is marginalised or absent; (2) identifying patterns of nature-related meaning, coherence and tensions between the three types of plans, and reflecting on the role of biodiversity in particular. Preliminary results suggest that biodiversity plans tend to offer a more balanced reflection of different nature-values, including intrinsic ones. By contrast, master plans more strongly reflect instrumental and relational values, while climate plans predominantly emphasize instrumental values across the different contexts. We will present a comparative typology of official imaginaries and a cross-city matrix showing where these imaginaries converge or diverge, discussing implications for biodiversity, climate, justice, and transformative change.
How to cite: Bina, O., Lêdo Marques, A., Kinniburgh, F., Carli, L., and Pereira, L.: Decoding Nature’s Values in Urban Planning: a Comparative analysis of Policy Imaginaries in master plans, climate and biodiversity plans across Twelve Cities, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-956, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-956, 2026.
As climate pressures intensify and biodiversity declines, small urban waterbodies like ponds represent often overlooked yet strategic elements for more resilient and inclusive cities. In November 2025, the POUNDER Future Scenarios Workshop brought together scientists, planners, artists, administrators, and civil-society actors to co-create future visions for Berlin’s urban ponds in 2050. Through transdisciplinary scenario development, creative mapping, and narrative-based design, participants explored how these small waters could evolve from today’s fragmented and stressed systems into biodiverse, climate-regulating, and socially meaningful blue infrastructures. The German capital has more than 600 small waterbodies that support a wide range of species, provide cooling, retain water during heavy rain, and offer places of social and cultural interaction among people. At the same time, they face several challenges: declining water levels, heat and drought, poor water quality, conflicting uses, neglect, and fragmented responsibilities across administrations. These functions and challenges make small waters central for urban environmental adaptation, that is why the POUNDER project aims to understand linkages between chemical water quality and ecological dynamics and governance barriers, and aims to develop guidelines for the future management of ponds. To do so, we first need to know what kind of future we want. The Nature Futures Framework offers a useful starting point, as it highlights three different value perspectives: nature for society, nature as culture, and nature for nature. Adding a fourth perspective related to nature for prosperity, we developed four future scenarios for Berlin’s ponds illustrating different future visions. From these scenarios, we developed narratives that illustrated how, even in positive futures, urban waterbodies continue to face pressures and trade-offs. This work shows how creative and participatory methods can help integrate knowledge from different disciplines, governance challenges, and people’s lived experiences. We invited scientists and practitioners to move beyond dystopian paralysis and work with hopeful, grounded imaginations of what Berlin’s waters could become. The narratives helped participants imagine ponds as whole places (ecological, social, cultural) and not just as technical units to be managed or landscapes to be sampled; an invitation to collectively shape biodiverse and positive futures for our city.
How to cite: Joosten, G. G., Jeschke, J. M., Lenzner, B., Warner, B., Spahr, S., and Lynn, G.: Imagining Urban Pondscapes: Positive Future Scenarios for Berlin’s Small Urban Waters, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-254, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-254, 2026.
Green spaces in residential areas can promote health and well-being and are formative for how children and their families relate to place, each other and nature. Many residential areas in Sweden were built during the postwar era, with extensive green open space and networks of accessible paths for pedestrians, bicycles, and children’s play, embedded in the structure. After several decades of densification through infill housing and facing climate-related challenges (e.g., need for shade, stormwater management, heat mitigation), biodiversity-positive green interventions have been suggested to stabilise local ecosystems and increase residential satisfaction. Urban pocket forests in the form of compact, multi-layered plantings of multiple species are emerging as a potential nature-based solution (NbS) for enhancing ecological functions and everyday human–nature interactions in dense urban areas. Between 2025 and 2026, a municipal housing company in Sweden is collaborating with a non-profit nature-conservation association to work with residents to establish an urban pocket forest (based on the Miyawaki method) in the courtyard of one of their housing estates. Through fieldwork, workshops, and interviews, this study investigates how such micro-forests contribute to desirable futures by enhancing cohabitation between humans and nature at the neighbourhood level. More specifically, this study explores how residents (and schoolchildren) perceive and collaboratively imagine these futures, and how they make sense of human-nature relationships within this new ecological element integrated in their neighbourhood outdoor environment, and what role this space plays in reshaping the patterns of everyday life across time and space. By incorporating participatory methods into landscape design processes, we examine how small-scale NbS can foster imagination and help achieve biodiversity-positive urban futures while reflecting local values, rights, and experiences. The outcome will prototype the implementation of multispecies residential landscapes, focusing on the interface between people and nature in everyday urban settings. These prototypes will include inclusive design and management strategies that are appealing to diverse groups and gain broad acceptance.
How to cite: Mottaghi, M. and Mårtensson, F.: Extending Human–Nature Relationships Through an Urban Pocket Forest in Malmö’s Augustenborg Neighbourhood, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-481, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-481, 2026.
Humans and nature have an entangled past, present and future, which has become obscured in an era of biodiversity loss and increasingly urbanised human populations. The recent focus on biodiversity-positive design, as one of many related approaches to re-engage with these entanglements, signals a re-emerging global recognition of the fundamental connections between humans and nature.
Within the growing body of guidance documents for Biodiversity-Positive Design, there is a common recognition that biodiversity is a multi-dimensional concept and can mean many different things to many different people. Indeed, the profusion of language and frameworks related to biodiversity offer enormous flexibility in how a goal or vision for biodiversity can be framed within a project, and ultimately influence the realised biodiversity gain at the end of the project. The importance of considering the site-specific voices and opportunities places novel ecosystems and pollination services on equal footing with efforts to expand populations of rare plants or create habitat for under-represented fauna.
This presentation does not seek to challenge this flexibility in expressing the situated biodiversity associated with place. Instead, it takes a closer look at those projects that explicitly seek to bend the biodiversity extinction curve and counter the potential for the biotic homogenisation of cities. By drawing upon three frameworks (Nature Futures, Kowarik's 4 Natures and the frames of "wild", "stray" and "care") and global datasets of biodiversity in cities, the presentation will seek to provide a more nuanced understanding of how the socio-cultural and eco-evolutionary histories of cities reposition the relative contributions that different frames of nature offer for suppporting the unique biodiversity in cities in multiple continents. This knowledge is critical for bringing a more nuanced approach to Biodiversity-Positive Design, where the objective is to support the dimensions of biodiversity related to vulnerability, endemism and foregrounding outcomes that are unique to a place.
How to cite: Hahs, A.: All Biodiversity-Positive Design projects are valuable, but which ones help bend the biodiversity extinction curve?, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-913, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-913, 2026.
Urban road, rail and utility corridors transport people, electricity, gas and water across the world’s cities. In some cases, they contain valuable remnant ecosystems but most urban corridors do not support significant biodiversity. However, what if they could?
We are working with municipal governments, a rail operator and a water utility to reinstate species from the critically endangered native grasslands and grassy woodlands of southeastern Australia to urban corridors. This has included creating 3 ha to connect fragmented remnants along a major rail line, 1 ha along a water pipe easement, 500 m on top of a high-pressure gas main and multiple road verge projects. Ecologically this has been achieved by developing methodologies to sow diverse (up to 50 grass and wildflower species), scientifically calibrated seed mixes on to low nutrient technosols made from recycled construction wastes selected after chemical, biological and geotechnical evaluation. This allows diverse native wildflower seed mixes to be designed for projects that span the ecological restoration continuum, from highly designed urban green spaces responding to social pressures for attractive socially acceptable landscapes to a vegetation community that mimics the adjacent endangered native grassland. However, the method has also required changes to how organisations manage corridors, governance arrangements and extensive collaborations between ecologists, environmental engineers, urban corridor managers and the community.
These projects have created a biodiversity positive pathway by reintegrating endangered ecosystems into the urban matrix and transforming the way organisations think about infrastructure projects whilst achieving circular economy objectives. We have also demonstrated that they have more diverse pollinator communities and can increase rare plant, pollinator connectivity. We are now working to scale up. Research underway will determine whether trait-based restoration approaches are faster and more cost effective. For example, can a diverse seed mixes selected for wind dispersal traits colonise lower diversity areas of the corridor better than a random species seed mix and whether mixes with traits designed to maximise public preference (i.e. uniform height) increase connection to nature and well-being. We also investigating how community assembly of the same seed mix varies with microclimate (influence of trees) and season of sowing.
How to cite: Williams, N., Saraeian, Z., Blosfelds, S., Morgan, J., and Horsfall, K.: Reimagining urban transport and utility corridors to restore and connect an endangered ecosystem., World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-348, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-348, 2026.
Urban green spaces (UGS) are increasingly recognized as important reservoirs of plant diversity, yet the mechanisms shaping plant communities across different UGS types are still not fully understood—particularly how cultural contexts influence ecological patterns in cities. This study investigates how five common UGS types—private gardens, allotments, parks, ruderal areas, and real estate developments—contribute to urban plant diversity across three Swiss cities (Geneva, Zurich, and Lugano), each embedded in a distinct cultural region representing the French-, German-, and Italian-speaking parts of the country. By applying community ecology concepts, including alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, we quantified species richness, compositional variation, and overall diversity to better understand how UGS types and cultural environments jointly shape urban plant communities.
Our findings reveal substantial differences between the plant communities of the three cities. More than half of all recorded species were unique to a single city, while fewer than a quarter were shared across all three. These patterns indicate that cultural region, and potentially culturally influenced gardening practices, leave a strong imprint on urban plant assemblages. Differences were also evident among UGS types: ruderal areas and allotments supported particularly distinct communities, whereas private gardens, parks, and real estate areas displayed more similar species compositions. Moreover, species origin (native vs. non-native) significantly influenced both species richness and community dissimilarity, suggesting that the introduction and persistence of plants in cities depend not only on habitat type but also on the management decisions and gardening activities embedded within each cultural setting.
Together, these results highlight the importance of integrating cultural factors with ecological and planning considerations when examining and managing urban biodiversity. Understanding how UGS types and cultural contexts interact to structure plant communities can provide valuable insights for urban planners, landscape architects, and biodiversity managers. This research underscores the need for tailored, culturally informed approaches to designing and maintaining urban green spaces, ultimately supporting more diverse, resilient, and culturally reflective urban ecosystems.
How to cite: Casanelles Abella, J., Ruile, S., Fournier, B., and Moretti, M.: Social-Ecological Signatures in Plant Species Composition Across Swiss Cities and Urban Green Space Types, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-393, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-393, 2026.
Urban greenspaces, natural and designed, present an opportunity to engage the public on topics of biodiversity and the benefits we, as people, derive from these landscapes. Cool Forest is a demonstration project and designed experiment that examines how urban vegetation can be reconceived as atmospheric infrastructure that supports biodiversity, mitigates heat, and enhances multispecies well-being. As a living laboratory, it visualizes the thermodynamic, ecological, and atmospheric processes through which trees reshape urban climates and enable more-than-human forms of urban life.
The project integrates climate-adapted planting design with a bespoke environmental sensing network to examine how the reciprocal exchanges between trees, air, and built surfaces can be designed. A dense matrix of future climate adapted species was paired with a distributed microclimate network and sap flux sensor network that measure air temperature, humidity, heat index, soil moisture and temperature, and transpiration rates. These measurements reveal the canopy as an intensive microclimatic engine that operates through shading, evapotranspiration, particulate interception, and moisture exchange, while also providing a test bed for assessing climate adaptation and stress response by native and future climate adapted tree species. By translating these exchanges into visible, legible data interfaces, Cool Forest renders ecological processes perceptible to the public and reframes trees as active design agents of urban sensing, regulation, and multispecies habitat formation.
Cool Forest situates vegetation not as passive green space but as a cybernetic, relational infrastructure through which biotic and abiotic processes co-produce urban environmental quality. This perspective aligns with emerging design approaches in landscape architecture and urban ecology that emphasize gradients, flows, and interdependence rather than discrete objects. Cool Forest illustrates how integrating sensing technologies with living systems can support biodiversity-positive urban design and transformation, demonstrating pathways toward designing cities that register, regulate, and adapt their own atmospheres. It proposes a shift from infrastructure imposed upon nature to infrastructure as nature, one that is distributed, inclusive, and capable of sustaining human and non-human life in a warming world.
How to cite: Piana, M. and Douglas, C.: Cool Forest: A Designed Experiment for Urban Climate Adaptation and Heat Mitigation , World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-911, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-911, 2026.
Through collaboration with local governments and communities in the Cubujuquí Interurban Biological Corridor, FIFCO is implementing a nature-based solution project that aims to demonstrate the possibility of maintaining a healthy and conserved ecosystem while simultaneously supporting urban activities such as industry, commerce, and residential living. The initiative seeks to enhance urban biodiversity while remaining committed to urban ecosystems and corporate stewardship in Costa Rica. Tailored methodologies have been employed to monitor arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, birds, bats, and terrestrial mammals. Documenting existing fauna on-site will guide the subsequent ecological restoration process, expected to improve habitat quality and promote species return. Baseline results identified 163 species across five faunal groups, mainly composed of pollution-resilient species. However, indicator species of more conserved environments were found in green areas near water bodies. Biodiversity index calculations showed low diversity levels, except for birds. Expected restoration actions over 10 years—including natural pool installation, control of domestic animals and pests, artificial warm lighting, removal of invasive species, and planting of native vegetation across 10 ha—are projected to increase fauna richness and abundance by 10–60% and reduce dominance of generalist species. The project aims to transform the company’s green areas into functional spaces that support current fauna and their flora associations for feeding, shelter, and reproduction. Restoration methods will use native species aligned with the Holdridge Life Zone Classification, simulating natural stratification processes while adapting to the urban context. These approaches aim to enhance pollination, water regulation, and ecological connectivity, allowing fauna to use these areas for nutrient cycling and genetic flow. The scenic value is also anticipated to benefit company employees. Restoration efforts may improve water regulation and soil fertility, directly or indirectly benefiting company operations, public image, and access to green subsidies. This innovative initiative seeks to strengthen ecological connectivity and expand multi-sector alliances to build more resilient urban futures, contributing to cost reduction and alignment with international carbon neutrality goals.
How to cite: Steinvorth, K., Pereira, A., Cordero, J. D., Phillips, A., Ramírez, F., Vega, G., and Sánchez, N.: Integrating Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Landscapes: Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Enhancement in the Cubujuquí Interurban Biological Corridor, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-941, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-941, 2026.
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.
How to cite: Camichel, A., Bussmann-Charran, K., Gindorf, S., Pärli, R., Richman, S., and Steinegger, L.: Synergies for Biodiversity in Urban Areas: Lessons from a Multi-Stakeholder Working Group in Switzerland, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-765, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-765, 2026.
