As cities around the world become increasingly dense, integrating nature into the built environment is becoming increasingly urgent.
Dr Aysu Kuru from the University’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning is leading interdisciplinary research that explores how building-integrated greenery—like green walls and rooftop gardens—can significantly boost urban biodiversity and foster healthier ecosystems.
Biodiversity in the built environment
Dr Kuru is leading three interconnected research projects focused on biodiversity in the built environment. Drawing on insights from architecture, engineering and biology, the projects build vital evidence around the ecological and restorative benefits of biodiversity-sensitive urban design.
“Our projects explore how building-integrated greenery affects local biodiversity and urban ecology, assess the restorative benefits of biodiverse semi-outdoor spaces on human wellbeing, and investigate how green facades can enhance biodiversity, improve soundscapes, regulate microclimates, and support overall health,” says Dr Kuru.
One key finding is that biodiverse greenery—using a variety of plant species arranged with ecological purpose—offers greater environmental and psychological benefits than uniform, monocultured landscaping.
“We’ve found that building-integrated greenery can act as ecological stepping stones in cities,” says Kuru.
“They reconnect fragmented habitats and increase ecological connectivity for urban fauna, helping to enhance biodiversity hotspots.”
These ecological and wellbeing benefits point towards how research can translate into real-world urban solutions.
Project team
- Thomas Astell-Burt (CI)
- Dieter Hochuli (CI)
- Thomas Parkinson (CI)
- Eugenia Gasparri (CI)
- Arianna Brambilla (CI)
- Arunima Malik (CI)
- Olivia Urbaniak (CI)
- Ozgur Gocer (CI)
- Anastasia Globa (CI)
- Emrah Baki Ulas (CI)
- Xi Zhang (CI)
- Tracy Du (CI)
- Yuan Wei (RA)
- Yao Xiao (RA)
- Muhammed Yildirim (RA)
- Francesco Aletta (CI)
- Simone Torresin (CI)
- Ke Zhou (CI)
- Seda Yuksel Dicle (CI)
We’ve found that building-integrated greenery can act as ecological stepping stones in cities. They reconnect fragmented habitats and increase ecological connectivity for urban fauna, helping to enhance biodiversity hotspots.
Dr Aysu Kuru
Lecturer in Architecture and Construction and Buildings and Climate Change Pillar Lead at the Net Zero Institute
From research to real-world impact
Australia’s commitment to halting biodiversity loss by 2030, alongside emerging regulatory requirements for developers to assess and report on biodiversity impacts, reinforces the critical need for evidence-based guidance.
Dr Kuru’s research delivers the data, tools and interdisciplinary frameworks that can support government agencies in developing effective policies, planning instruments, and regulatory approaches for nature-positive buildings and urban development.
“We need more evidence to support initiatives that integrate nature into cities and buildings,” says Kuru.
“If we can measure it, we can manage it—and that’s how we create meaningful change.”
In collaboration with industry and NGO partners, including Xylo Systems, the Living Future Institute of Australia and UK-based green infrastructure specialists Biotecture, the team uses co-design workshops to translate findings into real-world impact.
“Industry partners are involved in co-design workshops, sharing practical insights that help us identify challenges and opportunities for increasing the uptake of green facades and other biodiversity-sensitive solutions.”
Rethinking human–nature relationships
This research reveals intriguing insights into how people perceive urban nature. Participants in one study expressed a preference for uniform, monocultured greenery—plants that are visually consistent and orderly —over more biodiverse, complex vegetation.
“This surprised me,” says Dr Kuru, “because it suggests that the carefully controlled, artificial ecologies we create in cities have shaped how people imagine ‘nature,’ overshadowing the rich, intricate complexity of real ecosystems.”
This finding points to a deeper disconnection between many urban residents and the natural world—one that thoughtful architectural design can help bridge. By embedding diverse, biodiverse greenery into everyday urban spaces, cities can nurture greater ecological awareness and reconnect people with the living systems around them.
Towards flourishing cities
With a background in both architectural design and building engineering, Dr Kuru brings a unique perspective to sustainability and ecological design. Her work is part of a broader movement within the School of Architecture, Design and Planning to explore how built environments can support thriving, equitable, and sustainable cities.
By embedding biodiversity into buildings and streetscapes, her research reimagines urban development as a shared space for people and nature—where architecture becomes a driver of regeneration, not just occupation.
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