The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning

This report examines the role of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) in creating sustainable cities, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and co-benefits compared to traditional grey infrastructure.

• Nature-based infrastructure (NBI) provides cost-effective and climate-resilient solutions that offer co-benefits for citizens, including improved well-being and reduced air pollution. It also supports the resilience and effectiveness of other sustainable infrastructure sectors such as energy, water, and mobility.
• When accounting for co-benefits and avoided costs, NBI in cities is on average 36% more valuable and 42% cheaper than relying solely on grey infrastructure. Data from the NBI Global Resource Centre indicates that every dollar invested in urban NBI can yield up to 30 times that amount in societal returns.
• The report identifies four specific types of NBI valuable for sustainable urban infrastructure: wetlands and lakes, green roofs, urban green spaces, and stormwater infrastructure. To maximize these benefits, the report argues for strategic, cross-sectoral urban infrastructure planning that places the value of nature at its core.

APA

Simmons,, R. B. C. B. C. K. (2022). The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/nature-in-urban-infrastructure-planning

Chicago

Simmons,, Ronja Bechauf,Emma Cutler,Andrea Bassi,Liesbeth Casier,Michail Kapetanakis,Benjamin. The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/nature-in-urban-infrastructure-planning.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simmons, |first1=Ronja Bechauf,Emma Cutler,Andrea Bassi,Liesbeth Casier,Michail Kapetanakis,Benjamin |title=The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=9 December 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/nature-in-urban-infrastructure-planning |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simmons2022value, author = {Simmons,, Ronja Bechauf,Emma Cutler,Andrea Bassi,Liesbeth Casier,Michail Kapetanakis,Benjamin}, title = {{The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/nature-in-urban-infrastructure-planning}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }