Designing with nature: How biophilic infrastructure makes cities more livable

Imagine a world where our built environment exists in harmony with nature. Nature is woven into cities from the rooftops to the streets. Gardens grow healthy food; native plants attract pollinators and wildflowers bloom; birds singing, people chatting and trees rustling are all heard in concert; and the infrastructure that keeps our cities functioning works along with natural processes.

A range of projects across the world show how incorporating these things into the urban world can make our cities into more resilient, livable places.

The biophilia hypothesis—first proposed by social psychologist Erich Fromm in 1973 and popularized by sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson in the 1980s—posits that humans are ingrained with an innate biological and emotional need for a connection with other living organisms and the natural environment. In the modern world, however, our relationship to nature has been severed. Today, we spend about 90% of our time indoors, mostly in spaces filled with artificial light, made from artificial materials and devoid of living, breathing plants and animals. And yet, our need for a connection with nature remains.

Not only does this need remain, but numerous studies have shown that being deprived of connection to nature has detrimental effects on our health, such as increased anxiety, decreased attention spans and overall lower psychological and physical well-being.

An emerging school of architecture and design seeks to remedy this lack of natural exposure by incorporating natural elements into the spaces in which we live and work. Biophilic interior design emphasizes the importance of nature in indoor spaces, most obviously through the use of indoor plants, but also in more subtle ways, like maximizing the use of natural light, which is vital in stimulating the brain and regulating circadian rhythms. Bringing nature into our living spaces in these and other ways have been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, enhance concentration and improve sleep patterns.

Biophilic design improves our health

A growing body of research has demonstrated the provable benefits of nature exposure for human health. Studies have shown, for example, that hospital patients recovering in rooms with views of greenery have shorter recovery times, lowered blood pressure and improved immune function compared to those without such views. Some hospitals now explicitly work natural elements into their design.

The Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) in Singapore, for example, aims to improve patient wellbeing by incorporating green spaces into its architecture. The hospital is designed in a V-shape that allows patients to access natural light and outside air and views of greenery. A park in its central courtyard—containing a forest and water features that attract birds, butterflies and other insects—provides a respite for both employees and patients. And a vegetable garden run by local volunteers produces fresh, healthy food for patients.

Biophilic infrastructure reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions

Weaving nature into the design of our buildings can provide important benefits beyond improving the experiences of the people who use them.

The 2024 renovation of Portland International Airport (PDX), for example, sought to incorporate natural elements into the building design to improve travelers’ experiences. The design included crafting a part of the airport’s interior as a forest, emphasizing a connection to the surrounding forests and providing a “forest bathing” experience for passengers passing through.

Fifty skylights allow natural daylight to flood the space, contributing to improving travelers’ mood while at the same time allowing PDX to light the terminal with 50% fewer lightbulbs than the Oregon electrical code limit. The structure is built with 2.6 million board-feet of locally sourced timber, which provides a soothing nature connection for passengers as well.

Nature-based infrastructure builds on biophilic principles, ensuring that our cities remain livable

The redesigned PDX terminal is one among many examples of how incorporating natural elements into the design of our world both helps the planet while enhancing human wellbeing.

These principles can also be applied on a larger scale through infrastructure projects that harness the power of nature to improve the functionality and sustainability of our cities. Nature-based infrastructure—sometimes called “green infrastructure” or “biophilic infrastructure”—incorporates natural elements and experiences into built environments.

This approach to infrastructure, while designed primarily to ensure that cities remain livable and resilient in the face of climate change and urban growth, has the added benefit of improving the health and well-being of the people who live there.

Cities across the world are beginning to see the benefits of deploying nature-based infrastructure on a larger scale to provide services usually provided by artificial infrastructure. Green spaces, rooftop gardens, bioswales, “living walls” and biodiversity corridors all contribute to reconnecting urban residents with nature, but at the same time they also provide valuable ecosystem services such as air purification, temperature regulation and stormwater management, as well as providing vital wildlife habitat.

Nature-based infrastructure increases resilience to extreme weather events

The Copenhagen neighborhood of Østerbro, for example, has used forms of nature-based infrastructure to combat the impacts of climate change—in particular, an increase in stormwater volumes. Throughout the neighborhood, roofs, streets and pocket parks are all designed to maximize space for native grasses and plants that collect rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding while at the same time cleaning the air, improving biodiversity and sequestering carbon emissions. “Cloudburst roads” turn public roads into channels, forcing rainwater to follow a specific path for collection, and permeable pavement allows rainwater to soak into the ground and prevent flooding.

Østerbro shows how bringing natural elements into everyday urban life can improve residents’ well-being while also equipping cities with tools that build resilience for the future.

Biophilic design can be implemented on all levels, starting with small scale changes

Biophilic design isn’t just about redesigning airports, hospitals or city neighborhoods. Simply bringing plants into the office or opening the blinds can help connect us with nature. But when applied on a larger scale, integrating nature into the places we live can bring major benefits for public health and the sustainability of our built environment. And it all starts with biophilia: our innate drive to connect with the natural world and find meaning in the landscapes that surround us