Harnessing nature to create environmentally resilient communities
January 09, 2026
How can we incorporate more nature and green spaces into urban environments to help reduce environmental impacts?
Green spaces hold a variety of benefits for communities, supporting both mental wellbeing and local biodiversity. But we can also use nature in design to help boost water quality, lessen the pressure on wastewater infrastructure, and reduce the impacts from flooding.
Nature-based solutions can be incorporated into urban spaces in a variety of shapes and sizes, from vast wetlands to small pocket parks. By using the latest design thinking, villages, towns, cities, and entire regions can benefit from a smart use of natural infrastructure.
Our specialists from the water and community development sides of our business work together to create nature-based solutions that work in harmony with communities. They can share the thinking behind various elements relating to nature-based solutions in communities, including:
- Natural flood management
- Varying typologies for different environments
- Benefits of nature for communities
- The concept of a “sponge city”
- The importance of reducing the pressure on wastewater infrastructure
- Ecology considerations