Building Resilient Cities Through Ecological Infrastructure and Nature-Based Urban Planning Approaches

Abstract

Integrating climate change, biodiversity loss, flooding, heat stress and resource pressures through the incorporation of ecological infrastructure with nature-based urban planning is essential to building resilient cities. The review brings together recent developments in ecological infrastructure, green-blue networks, services and approaches for climate change resiliency and ecosystem services to provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable urban development. It explores how green roofs, urban forests, wetlands, permeable landscapes and river restoration help to improve environmental quality, boost biodiversity, mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve storm water management, and promote human wellbeing. The proposed integrated framework would integrate ecological infrastructure, smart environmental monitoring, geospatial analysis, Internet of Things (IoT) sensing, and decision support mechanisms for ecosystem optimization planning and adaptive management. In addition, the study addresses the environmental, ecological and social benefits and challenges of implementation, including governance, funding, land use, data integration and involvement of stakeholders. Research needs to focus on the use of artificial intelligence for predictive analytics, digital twins, community planning, the assessment of climate risks, and the integration of policies for long-term resilience in urban areas. Overall, the review points to ecological infrastructure and NbS as tangible, scalable and adaptive solutions for building more health, more resilient, more inclusive and more environmentally sustainable cities which also ensure ecosystem integrity, climate adaptation, DRR and future sustainability.