The Value of Incorporating Nature in Urban Infrastructure Planning

The report examines the role of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) in urban environments, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and climate resilience compared to traditional grey infrastructure. It identifies four key NBI types—urban green spaces, green roofs, stormwater infrastructure, and wetlands and lakes—and argues that incorporating nature into urban planning generates significant societal returns and supports other sustainable infrastructure investments.

• Nature-based infrastructure (NBI) is more economical and provides greater value than grey infrastructure alone when accounting for co-benefits and avoided costs. On average, NBI in cities is 42% cheaper and creates 36% more value. Furthermore, investments in urban nature can yield societal returns of up to 30 times the initial investment per dollar.
• NBI provides climate-resilient infrastructure services and a variety of co-benefits for urban residents, including improved well-being and reduced air pollution. Additionally, NBI enhances the resilience and effectiveness of other sustainable infrastructure sectors, such as energy, water, and mobility.
• Unsustainable urban development is a primary driver of biodiversity loss, a situation worsened by climate change and the high infrastructure demands of growing city populations.

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} }