HIGHLIGHTS
- An ecological disparity exists in cities, between affluent and poorer areas
- Closing gaps in biodiversity requires equitable urban planning that incorporates quality natural infrastructure
- Re-naturing towns and cities is essential to restoring biodiversity and improving the quality of life for people
Liverpool once was a small coastal city in north-west England, living humbly from fishing and agriculture. After the 17th Century English Civil War, however, with the reactivation of trading routes, the modest port became a strategic enclave and one of the most important commercial cities in the British Empire.
The 18th, 19th and early 20th Century industrial era thus began, causing a wave of families to abandon their lives in the countryside and move to cities in search of a more prosperous future.
Since the economic prospects of this migration were by no means guaranteed, the only solution for migrants was to live in areas around the port in purpose-built, low-cost, brick houses with poor ventilation. In the face of these new developments, affluent classes decided to move away from the maritime district to more residential, neater, tree-lined areas. The green zones thus differed from the grey ones, and caused imbalanced growth.
This phenomenon also emerged in the colonial and post-colonial cities of the 19th and 20th Centuries, where residential areas sprung up in broad avenues with large parks and big houses with gardens full of flowers, in contrast to the working-class peripheries and their high population densities, with neither urban planning nor natural spaces. Examples are the conventillo tenements of Buenos Aires and the dormitory suburbs of Mexico City.
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These differences continue to exist today and the presence of quality green spaces is still a symbol of social status. Urban fragmentation – understood as the lack of connection between natural spaces inside the city – has become a growing problem. A recent study by Nature magazine confirmed that there is a clear ecological disparity, given that more biodiversity is usually concentrated in affluent areas, whereas poorer neighborhoods tend to have less vegetation and greater exposure to pollution.
More biodiversity is usually concentrated in affluent areas, whereas poorer neighborhoods tend to have less vegetation and greater exposure to pollution.
As such, fragmented cities occur, not only from the social and economic viewpoint, but also in terms of biodiversity. By dividing the natural environment into separate, heterogeneous zones, the diversity of flora and fauna is endangered by brusque changes produced by uncontrolled urban development. Changes in soil use, for example, make it more difficult for other species to move about and reproduce, isolating them and putting their very survival at risk.
Urban fragmentation especially affects bees, key agents in pollination. Pollinator gardens – spaces where plants rich in nectar (sunflowers, mint, rosemary, basil, sage and lavender) attract species like bees and butterflies, and allow ecosystems to recover – are an example of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which use nature’s own processes to solve urban problems like city heat or biodiversity loss.
Closing these biodiversity gaps in cities requires equitable urban planning that incorporates good natural infrastructure, with the aim of improving residents’ quality of life and prioritizing access to the most marginalized neighborhoods so that everyone can benefit from healthy environmental conditions.
In this respect, the focus on NbS recognizes and promotes the potential of ecosystems as more effective tools for protecting and recovering biodiversity, as well as improving the health and well-being of people. Solutions from protecting wetlands and urban woods to developing green infrastructure (in the case of Mexico City and Buenos Aires) or blue (in the case of Liverpool).
The focus on NbS recognizes and promotes the potential of ecosystems as more effective tools for protecting and recovering biodiversity.
Most interesting are diverse studies showing it’s unnecessary to carry out large works to implement NbS; smart urban “acupuncture” projects are enough, i.e. one-off interventions with a large impact aimed at revitalizing public spaces, such as the pedestrianization of streets and construction of pocket-sized parks, community gardens, green roofs and walls on public and private buildings, and urban allotments.
Another key factor in fair and efficient urban planning is the “15-minute model”: solutions where all residents in a neighborhood dispose of a quality green space within a maximum distance of 15 minutes walking from home. This model also involves the decentralization of services and promotes inclusive urban development.
Another key factor in equitable and efficient urban planning is the “15-minute model”: solutions guaranteeing that all residents in a neighborhood dispose of a quality green space within a maximum distance of 15 minutes’ walk.
According to the United Nations, 68% of the global population will live in towns and cities in 2050. Renaturing urban areas is fundamental not only for restoring biodiversity, but for improving the lives of people.
Urban renaturation improves air quality; reduces pollution, the carbon footprint and local temperatures; favors rainwater infiltration; maximizes the development of flora and fauna; reduces cardio-respiratory disease and stress; improves mental health, safety and security; promotes social cohesion, and; increases the resilience of cities.
Cities are not the end of ecosystems, but their transformation.
As the Official College of Biologists of Madrid Region points out: “Cities are not the end of ecosystems, but their transformation.” In a world that is increasingly urbanized, where people share space with a great variety of flora and fauna, “recognizing this is the first step toward building cities that don’t just function for people, but all the life they host”.
Carmen Gómez-Cotta is a journalist whose international career has including working for media such as Ethic, La Razon, El Pais Semanal, El Viajero, Conde Nast, The Ethical Corporation Magazine and Mining Journal. She writes on subjects with a positive impact, tackling climate change, energy and biodiversity, as well as ESG and International Relations, with the aim of informing the public about the main challenges 21st Century societies face, interviewing experts in various areas to discover solutions.