How might we design cities to support both human and animal needs?

Using life-centred design to redesign human spaces that also nurture the needs of urban wildlife

Published in

UX Collective

6 min readDec 4, 2024

A city landscape overlaid with animals and human — Illustration by Damien Lutz, includes building and bird artwork by Vecteezy

Cities provide essential food, shelter, and infrastructure for humans, but they often negatively impact biodiversity. Urbanization damages habitats, disrupts ecosystems with artificial lighting and noise pollution, and puts stress on plants, animals, and microbes.

Yet, despite these challenges, many non-human species manage to adapt and coexist in cities.

Australian cities, for instance, are home to a variety of urban wildlife, including bees, bats, birds, mice, rats, flying foxes, possums, and countless insects.

However, with the increasing intensity of floods and heat waves due to climate change, many species are at risk of extinction. Some urban areas are becoming inhospitable even for humans.

This raises an important question: What if we redesigned urban spaces to nurture not just humans, but the needs of all city-dwelling life forms?

A more than human Sydney

In December 2023, I was invited to present at the AdaptNSW Forum 2023 where I led a two-hour workshop on life-centred design for climate adaptation. Participants, including government, industry, and climate adaptation professionals, worked in seven teams to explore the concept of a “More Than Human Sydney.”

Using tools from the Life-Centered Design Lab, such as non-human personas and the Impact Ripple Canvas, teams brainstormed the future needs of urban wildlife facing climate change.

They then reimagined public spaces — such as parks, bus stops, waterfronts, pools, libraries, galleries, and restrooms — through the lens of these non-human needs.

About the urban wildlife and human spaces

To save time for brainstorming, the workshop preselected key urban wildlife species for Sydney and created non-human personas for each. These personas, inspired by customer personas in marketing, give voice to the needs of plants and animals affected by human activities. Developed by Monika Sznel, this tool summarizes species’ needs, threats, ecological importance, and possible support measures.

Non-human persona documents used to give voice to bees, birds, koalas, and other animals living in Sydney — Non-human personas giving voice to the urban animals living in Sydney, Australia

Similarly, personas for human spaces were created to outline their functions, surrounding natural resources, and features that could support innovative designs to benefit urban wildlife.

Public human spaces that could be redesigned to also nurture urban animals

Innovating for adaptation

Innovation for adaptation begins with understanding the future we need to adapt to.

To this end, participants engaged in futuring using the Impact Ripple Canvas to explore how climate change might alter urban wildlife needs.

Using the Impact Ripple canvas and predefined climate change impacts to

The more than human innovation ideas

Participants then innovated ways to nurture their animal’s future needs by brainstorming how they could innovate using the natural and human-made resources of their human-made space.

While the participants brought diverse expertise, the session was not meant to produce definitive solutions but to provoke ideas for cities designed with more-than-human perspectives.

Public pools and frogs

How might we adapt public pools to support wetland-loving frogs?

Use natural swimming pool design that flows into nearby frog ponds
Replace toxic chemicals with eco-friendly alternatives.
Engage the public with a frog identification app.
Install frog-friendly lighting and plant more trees for shade.
Increase habitat with shrubs and native vegetation.

Harbour foreshore for humans and seals

How might we adapt human-made foreshore areas to better respect and serve the needs of local marine animals such as seals?

Build protected seal habitats away from human activity.
Create underwater refuges using kelp forests and no-anchoring zones.
Prevent fishing practices that endanger seals.
Raise awareness with public education campaigns and seal profiles.
Mitigate runoff pollution with pollutant traps near wetlands.

Public galleries/libraries for humans and possums

How might we utilise human spaces that remain empty at night, such as galleries and libraries, to provide habitat options for animals such as possums which can often invade the roofs of people’s homes?

Design roof spaces that mimic possum habitats.
Adjust lighting to be possum-friendly.
Install bridges and pathways for safe movement.
Educate visitors with “Adopt a Possum” programs and live “Possum Cams.”

Small reserves for humans and bandicoots

How might we adapt small local reserves to benefit small urban animals like bandicoots?

Plant diverse vegetation to attract pollinators and ensure food sources.
Install motion-activated lighting to minimise disruptions.
Design water fountains to catch runoff for bandicoots.
Protect burrowing areas with strategic landscaping.
Include non-human needs in planning and budgets.
Encourage the community to engage through awareness campaigns.
Consider the impact and management of domestic cats.

Golf courses for humans and koalas

How might we adapt the vast, under-utilised, and tree-filled spaces of golf courses to benefit tree-dwelling animals such as koalas?

Incorporate native trees that support koalas’ diets and habitats.
Design wildlife corridors and bushfire refuges.
Use rainwater for irrigation and wildlife ponds.
Engage golfers in conservation efforts.

Bus stops for humans and bees

A contentious idea, but one that has already been explored in the UK through the creation of ‘living roofs’ for bees on bus stops, one group explored how the ubiquitous city bus stops might be adapted to nurture bees.

Create wider roofs to plant native flora to attract bees and create safe spaces for them.
Utilise two-phase guttering to ensure collected water is always shallow.
Explore using the side walls of bus stops for hives.
Educate the public with signage about pollinator-friendly cities.

More than human futures

Damien Lutz and his More Than Human Sydney Map — Damien Lutz and the More Than Human Sydney Map

Biodiversity and climate change are deeply intertwined. Biodiversity loss accelerates climate change, and climate change threatens biodiversity. To address these challenges effectively, we must:

Consider the needs of all city life, including plants, microbes, and soil ecosystems.
Collaborate with experts in fields such as zoology, ecology, and design.
Base non-human personas on accurate ecological data.
Identify and avoid decisions that might cause unintentional harm to life, such as how we handle our own waste management
Explore any unintended interactions of people, plants, and urban wildlife
Engage and educate the community

Conserving urban biodiversity also benefits humans directly, such as controlling pest populations, pollinating local flora, contributing to mental health and psychological well-being, absorbing carbon storage, and reducing the heat island effect.

By reimagining cities with life-centred design, we can create resilient spaces that protect biodiversity while enriching human lives. Together, let’s work toward a future where all urban life forms can thrive.