Nature is the blueprint for better cities

Australia is entering a defining period of urban growth, expanding at a scale that will fundamentally shape how millions of people live, work and interact within their communities and with nature for decades to come.

It’s an exciting time for the industry of the built environment, but it also presents a critical turning point for us to think more intentionally about how to develop spaces that are better for people, while also creating positive outcomes for the environment.

That starts by placing greater focus on sustainability and nature-positive design from the outset.

Nature is infrastructure

With climate change driving more frequent and intense heat, flooding, drought and extreme weather, consideration of the natural environment can no longer be treated as an optional design feature in development.

Trees, wetlands, waterways, soils, habitat corridors and connected open spaces perform essential infrastructure functions. They cool our neighbourhoods, absorb and slow stormwater, filter pollutants, provide habitat and create places for people to gather, exercise and connect with each other and nature. When we overlook these natural systems, we instantly diminish the natural ability of our landscapes and communities to withstand environmental pressures and adapt to change.

As a landscape architect, my role sits at the centre of this thinking, blending ecology, people and place to shape landscapes that thoughtfully consider both natural and built systems, finding ways for them to work together rather than compete. Balancing these factors through design and creative problem-solving is a fine art, but also what makes my role so important in creating measurable and meaningful change across our urban landscapes.

Nature-positive design is a major consideration in this, and the cost of overlooking it can be significant.

The consequence of overlooking nature

The loss of a few trees or a reduction in green space may feel like a reasonable trade-off to make room for new developments, but in reality, these decisions can have much larger, longer-lasting impacts on how our neighbourhoods and the people living in them function.

Habitat fragmentation and declining biodiversity can weaken urban ecosystems, and when natural systems aren’t considered early in the design process we lose ecological value and place greater pressure on engineered infrastructure to manage stormwater, flooding and heat.

At the same time, we also accelerate the disconnect between people and nature and disadvantage the very people we are building for. One of the most powerful aspects of nature-positive design is that it doesn’t just restore ecosystems, it strengthens communities.

In the same way we learn to crawl before we walk, we need to place greater emphasis on understanding the land before we build upon it.

Creating real-world change

Throughout my tertiary education, I dedicated a lot of time to researching multigenerational volunteerism and found that although environmental stewardship is driven by passionate volunteers, participation remains heavily weighted towards older generations despite strong interest from younger people. More importantly, the research highlighted the social, environmental and wellbeing benefits of bringing different generations together to care for the same landscape.

When landscapes are designed well, they don’t just improve environmental outcomes; they create opportunities for people to experience nature as part of their everyday lives. Whether it’s walking along a restored creek corridor or sitting beneath a tree canopy on a hot day, these small moments can shape how we connect with and value the places around us.

That research has shaped the way I think about nature-positive design and is a key driver behind my desire to create change. For me, it’s not just about restoring ecosystems, but restoring our relationship with nature. If we want more resilient communities, we need to create places that encourage people to experience, value and care for the environment every day. In doing so, nature-positive design can strengthen community wellbeing and create stronger connections between people and place.

Change doesn’t begin and end with planners, engineers or landscape architects. It requires the skills, care and expertise of multiple disciplines working together, with all of us having a role to play in leaving nature better than we found it.

Real-world examples

Looking abroad, there are already examples setting the tone for what good nature-positive development can look like. Gardens by the Bay in Singapore and Houtan Park in Shanghai demonstrate how landscape architecture can integrate natural systems into highly developed urban environments.

On Australian shores, the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden on the Sunshine Coast shows the impact of long-term stewardship, restoring ecosystems, conserving biodiversity and creating opportunities for communities to engage with nature.

These examples show that development and nature don’t have to compete. As our cities continue to grow, we have an opportunity to set a new benchmark for development. One where success is measured not only by what we build, but by what we restore, protect and leave behind for future generations.

Nature should be the blueprint for building better cities, not something we work around, but something we build with, because when we design with nature, we create places that are better equipped to support both people and the environment for generations to come.

Image credit: iStock.com/Fahroni