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The application of ecological theory in urban planning is becoming more important as land managers focus on increasing biodiversity to improve human welfare in cities. Authorities must decide not only what types of biodiversity-focused infrastructure should be prioritized, but also where new resources should be positioned and existing resources protected or enhanced. Measuring the contribution of green infrastructure to landscape connectivity can maximise the successful return and conservation of urban nature. By using ecological connectivity theory as a planning tool, the effect of different interventions (both positive and negative) on the ease with which wildlife can move across the landscape can be compared. Here we outline an approach to a) quantify ecological connectivity for different urban wildlife species and b) use this to test different urban planning scenarios using QGIS. We demonstrate extensions which improve the application of this method as a planning tool: • Conversion of the effective mesh size value (meff) to a “probability of connectedness” (Pc, for easier interpretation by local government and comparisons between planning scenarios). • An approach for measuring species-specific connectivity, including how to decide what spatial information should be included and which types of species might be most responsive to connectivity planning. • Guidance for using the method to compare different urban planning scenarios.

Abstract Protecting nature is a fundamental aspect of local and Indigenous cultures that has more recently become an urban sustainability goal. The benefits provided by nature to people and other species have sparked an upsurge in research exploring how best to manage existing nature in urban environments. Here we expand this focus by drawing attention to an emerging pathway of research and practice that is engaged with the idea of bringing nature back into cities (BNB). We argue that BNB could be a vital force of the 21st century urban‐sustainability agenda. However, the enthusiasm of practitioners and policymakers for incorporating BNB objectives into local and global strategies remains uneven. As interdisciplinary scholars involved with the theory and practice of caring for urban nature, we believe that the time is ripe to present a fresh perspective on seven key areas that can unlock the potential of actions to bring nature back into cities. Specifically, we: (a) argue that the sovereignty of local and Indigenous knowledge‐systems be acknowledged and respected; (b) contend that the choice of bringing nature back actions should be driven by inclusive decision‐making; (c) discuss advances in ecology that need to be addressed to facilitate the return of nature into cities; (d) outline how the diffusion of innovation theory may assist communication of BNB actions to stakeholders; (e) discuss how built‐environment professionals can demonstrate the value of urban infrastructure for BNB; (f) call for longitudinal research to understand, quantify and qualify the benefits of BNB actions and (g) consider solutions needed to address concerns about potential risks and disservices associated with actions to bring nature back into urban environments. Taken together, these perspectives, and the transdisciplinary framework that emerges from them, embody theoretical innovation regarding how to bring nature back into cities and a holistic view of how to make this happen in practice. Bringing nature back into cities has the potential to become an environmentally just and culturally inclusive dimension of the 21st urban sustainability agenda upon which future generations of city‐dwellers rely. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Built environment practitioners currently seek options and opportunities to respond to the biodiversity emergency. Biodiversity Inclusive Design (BID) is an approach to design that seeks to foster functional ecological systems, enable species’ persistence within the built environment and (re) connect people with nature. BID can support designers’ quest toward biodiversity positivity. However, design projects that prioritise biodiversity are sparse and are limited to ad hoc initiatives by individual champions rather than being standard practice. Frameworks providing a structured design process to achieve biodiversity positivity already exist, but they can be difficult to find, compare and navigate. Responding to calls to further develop the concept of Biodiversity Inclusive Design, we systematically analyse 15 design frameworks compatible with BID. We explore how existing design frameworks position biodiversity as a client. For each framework, we uncover the underlying rules, ideas, beliefs, design principles and proposed structure of the design process. Through a thematic analysis, we identify re-emerging concepts and themes underpinning BID. Nested within complementary design frameworks, we conclude by positioning BID as a set of parallel processes that specifically explore biodiversitys’ perspectives (needs, preferences) and how they interact with the socio-ecological system to give a voice to biodiversity within the planning and design process. Our paper formalises BID as a practice and identifies three core dimensions of design action and nine design principles.

The ability of insects to persist in urban greenspace depends on their ability to usefully interact with available plant resources. Greenspace design influences plant–insect interactions by: (1) limiting the plant-species pool available for interaction through plant choice, (2) limiting the insects that are available for interaction through site-occupancy dynamics, and (3) mediating insect preferences based on the context of particular plant–insect interactions through structural barriers, microclimatic changes or competition. We designed an experiment to measure the effect of greenspace design attributes on site occupancy and insect preferences while keeping plant availability constant. Using a set of five functionally distinct flowering plant species (“phytometres”), we used occupancy-detection modelling to test factors affecting probability of visitation for eight groups of pollinating insects (ants, beetles, butterflies, bumblebees, honeybees, small bees, and hoverflies amend other flies) across 102 urban squares in Munich, Germany. We found that the probability of detecting an interaction was low for most functional groups, and situational factors, such as weather or competition from co-occurring flowers, were the primary drivers of visitation. Increasing the proportion of unsealed surfaces and quantity or diversity of flowers on the site had a positive influence on the probability of interaction, and, to a lesser extent, on probability of occupancy. Landscape connectivity and site area were important for only a few groups. Together, our results suggest that small-scale habitat conditions are more important than site context for influencing pollinator visitation. Designers can encourage interaction through contiguous provision of floral resources and unsealed surfaces while limiting internal barriers.

Reducing community vulnerability to flooding is increasingly important given predicted intensive flood events in many parts of the world. We built a community vulnerability model to explore the effectiveness of a range of proactive and reactive adaptations to reduce community vulnerability to flood. The model consists of floods, victims, housings, responses, savings, expenditure and income sub models. We explore the robustness of adaptations under current conditions and under a range of future climate change scenarios. We present results of this model for a case study of Centini Village in Lamongan Municipality, Indonesia, which is highly vulnerable to the impacts of annual small-scale and infrequent extreme floods. We compare 11 proactive adaptations using indicators of victims, damage/losses and recovery process to reflect the level of vulnerability. We find that reforestation and flood infrastructure redevelopment are the most effective proactive adaptations for minimising vulnerability to flood under current condition. Under climate change scenario, the floods are predicted to increase 17% on the average and 5% on the maximum measurements. The increasing floods result reforestation is the only effective adaptations in the future under climate change scenario.

An integrated understanding of both social and ecological aspects of environmental issues is essential to address pressing sustainability challenges. An integrated social-ecological systems perspective is purported to provide a better understanding of the complex relationships between humans and nature. Despite a threefold increase in the amount of social-ecological research published between 2010 and 2015, it is unclear whether these approaches have been truly integrative. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the conceptual, methodological, disciplinary, and functional aspects of social-ecological integration. In general, we found that overall integration is still lacking in social-ecological research. Some social variables deemed important for addressing sustainability challenges are underrepresented in social-ecological studies, e.g., culture, politics, and power. Disciplines such as ecology, urban studies, and geography are better integrated than others, e.g., sociology, biology, and public administration. In addition to ecology and urban studies, biodiversity conservation plays a key brokerage role in integrating other disciplines into social-ecological research. Studies founded on systems theory have the highest rates of integration. Highly integrative studies combine different types of tools, involve stakeholders at appropriate stages, and tend to deliver practical recommendations. Better social-ecological integration must underpin sustainability science. To achieve this potential, future social-ecological research will require greater attention to the following: the interdisciplinary composition of project teams, strategic stakeholder involvement, application of multiple tools, incorporation of both social and ecological variables, consideration of bidirectional relationships between variables, and identification of implications and articulation of clear policy recommendations.

Purpose - This paper seeks to report research undertaken to assess the extent to which Australian universities were engaged in professional development (PD) activities focusing on the development of education for sustainability for their academics. Design/methodology/approach - This web-based survey seeks to identify the existence of PD programs and teaching induction programs within universities, or where programs in tertiary teaching that included any sustainability education content were offered. Findings - While the vast majority of universities had information about PD available, only one offers a PD course designed to introduce academics to sustainability and teaching sustainability. This is despite the high number of Australian universities that have signed sustainability education declarations, which include commitments to achieving sustainability literacy in staff and students. Research limitations/implications - The survey focused only on information contained on web sites, and information that would not have been identified by this methodology such as informal programs, forums and workshops, and anything on secure staff "intranet" sites. Practical implications - This research indicates that in Australia there is only very limited PD activity, which provides one explanation for the limited extent to which education for sustainability is evident in universities. Originality/value - There is little information about PD activity in universities generally, and especially in Australia. This research provides a starting-point investigation into activity that may have been missed by the research. More importantly, it provides a base for the exploration of PD programs that will be the most effective and efficient in facilitating education for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]