Briefing: Rethinking urban infrastructure from an ecological perspective in a post-Covid-19 world Available to Purchase

Urban areas continue to change in response to climatic, engineering and socio-economic changes. Covid-19 exacerbated this by forcing many people to reflect on the composition of their local environment and evaluate the quality, quantity and provision of nature within urban areas. As a consequence of Covid-19 built infrastructure specialists have been further challenged to consider more ecologically focussed approaches to development that work within existing development frameworks. To achieve this, engineers, planners, architects and the environment sector should work more effectively to exchange knowledge, share best practice and create new practices that align engineered solutions with environmentally focussed design and management. It also requires a more nuanced appreciation of the elemental and thematic understandings of urban nature, which are often absent from development plans. If cities are to become more sustainable, a more holistic approach to development that integrates ecologically sensitive design with engineering innovation is needed. As a consequence, there is the potential to future-proof urban areas against the problems associated with health, climatic and economic change.