Human activities are dismantling ecosystems and eliminating genes, species, and biotopes at an alarming rate. Habitat fragmentation caused by urbanisation and infrastructure is one of the main causes of the decline in urban biodiversity. Despite challenges, project developers can enhance biodiversity in urban areas by adopting nature-inclusive design principles and engaging in collaborative efforts to share knowledge and resources. Research has demonstrated that biodiversity is currently implemented with a focus on one plot. More emphasis should be placed on implementing biodiversity within a multi-plot context. Project developers lack a framework or step-by-step plan that can support them in this challenge, including design elements and principles, stakeholder engagement, phasing, and financial prerequisites. This research contributes by developing an implementation framework that will encourage project developers to implement biodiversity in their projects in collaboration with other stakeholders. This is achieved by answering the research question ‘How can private project developers co-develop with others to enhance biodiversity across multiple plots in an area?’
The research starts with an extensive literature review of existing research on biodiversity in the built environment, establishing a foundational framework for subsequent methods. Interviews with experts are conducted to delineate the identified problem, gaining valuable insights and knowledge from ecologists. This is followed by a focus group workshop with participants from various disciplines, in which a process is designed with biodiversity guidelines and considerations. While the expert interviews focused mainly on the role of the government, the workshop discussions emphasised the role of the project developer, highlighting an observable tension between these stakeholders that necessitates collaborative alignment within the multi-plot context.
Recognising the impact of scale, the research underscores the need for collaborative efforts across multiple plots to enhance urban biodiversity. Biodiversity thrives at broader spatial scales where interconnected networks of green areas can support larger populations and facilitate species movement. Emphasising the importance of stakeholder collaboration, the developed process and implementation framework offer valuable guidance for project developers and other stakeholders. Roles, responsibilities, and priorities of stakeholders vary per urban area development project and biodiversity ambitions, which makes biodiversity enhancement complex. Biodiversity implementation in urban area development projects requires early area analysis, consistent oversight of objectives, seamless integration of biodiversity goals into the overall vision, and continuous monitoring throughout the development process.