Animals and Cities: A Reflection on Their Potential in Innovating Nature-Based Solutions

Area of Science:

• Urban Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Policy

Background:

• Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are increasingly integrated into urban planning.
• While urban animal populations grow, the potential of human-animal interactions as NBSs remains underexplored.
• Existing urban strategies often overlook the ecological and social benefits of nonhuman animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the current status of animals in urban settings.
• To investigate the roles of animals and their interactions with humans as potential NBSs.
• To inform the European project IN-HABIT's development of integrated urban human-animal policies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on urban animals and human-animal interactions.
• Analysis of current urban planning strategies concerning nonhuman animals.
• Case study focus on the IN-HABIT project in Lucca, Italy.

Main Results:

• Human-animal interactions offer significant, yet often unrecognized, benefits as NBSs.
• Integrating animals into urban planning can enhance the quality of life for both human residents and urban wildlife.
• The IN-HABIT project provides a framework for developing comprehensive urban animal policies.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need to recognize and valorize human-animal relationships within urban NBS frameworks.
• Public-private-people partnerships are essential for implementing effective animal-inclusive urban strategies.
• Developing integrated animal urban policies can significantly improve urban livability and biodiversity.