Sweco fights for biodiversity – Cities will play a significant role in maintaining well-being and natural diversity in the future

A few decades ago, nature and urban areas were seen as opposites. Now, the coronavirus epidemic has proven the power and importance of nature. In the future, cities will play a significant role in maintaining natural diversity. Biologist Tarja Ojala from Sweco explains how good urban planning can impact natural diversity and how ecosystem services support our health and well-being.

Biodiversity, also called natural diversity, is diminishing all around the world, also in Finland. Indeed, Finland’s natural diversity has been in decline for the past ten years. But all is not lost. According to a study conducted by the Finnish Environment Institute and Natural Resources Institute Finland, Finland has a realistic chance to alter the trend of its natural diversity for the first time in the current decade. The United Nations has also declared the 2010s to be the decade of biodiversity.

Biodiversity is also the theme of Sweco’s new Urban Insight report. The report examines the ways urban planning can maintain rich biodiversity and how ecosystem services can support public health and well-being and influence climate change and its impacts on the urban environment. One of the writers of the report is Sweco’s leading specialist and biologist Tarja Ojala.

“Cities will have great potential for supporting diverse natural environments, if ecosystem services and areas’ natural characteristics are utilised in planning urban structures”, says Ojala.

No more polarisation – nature is an asset

According to Ojala, nature and cities were strongly considered separate until the 21st century: “Nature conservation targeted areas outside urban areas, and nature was seen as an obstacle from the perspective of cities and general enrichment. But nature does not only exist past a ring road or built-up area sign – there is nature within urban areas.”

Only during the past decade have people fully realised that urban areas have their own, sometimes very abundant, flora and fauna and that diverse urban species are important on a large scale.

Ojala says that ecosystem services and areas’ natural characteristics and valuable species should be taken into account at the first stages of land use planning. This helps us conserve species that are original and characteristic in the area and secure the ecosystem services nature provides us.

“It is the duty of the biologists and ecologists involved in planning to ensure biodiversity is taken into account in all our plans. In practice, this could mean that urban forests are not planned to be simply solitary oases but that they are connected to the woods outside the city. This ensures that animals can move freely and secures genetic exchange between different populations”, Ojala explains.

Urban nature supports well-being and diversity

The coronavirus epidemic has proven how important a resource nature is. In spring, there were news about congested conservation areas in the metropolitan area, when people found their safe space in nature. Increased urban biodiversity promotes our health and well-being in addition to helping combat climate change.

“Studies have shown that nature has many positive effects. For example, spending time in nature improves mental well-being and reduces stress. It is important that people living in cities can literally come into contact with nature and e.g. microbial flora in the soil. In addition to mental well-being, nature also impacts our immune system and protects us from illnesses and allergies.”

Natural diversity is essential for ecosystem services, which are preconditions for life. Ecosystem services include carbon sequestration, pollination and clean air. Nature’s ability to provide ecosystem services weakens due to the diminishing of biodiversity. In cities, green spaces soak up floodwater and stormwater and trees protect from the heat of the sun. Urban nature also improves air quality and reduces urban noise.

Good planning promotes the biodiversity of urban nature

In the future, urban nature might come in forms we are not accustomed to: refreshing oases not on the ground but on rooftops and blooming meadows instead of traditional grass covers. We should also take the residents of cities and the areas under planning into account in urban planning.

“We must ensure that there are suitable places for pollinators and other animals in urban areas by e.g. improving the ways we utilise idle lands”, says Ojala.

The theme of Sweco’s fourth Urban Insight report in 2020 is biodiversity and ecosystem services. The report examines the ways urban planning can maintain rich biodiversity and how ecosystem services can support public health and well-being. Read the report >>