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URBIO (URban BIOdiversity and Design) is an open worldwide scientific network for education and research with the aim to promote the implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in urban areas. Within the CBD programmes, URBIO is a scientific advisor for the Major Group "Local Authorities" and partner of the "Global Partnership on Local and Subnational Action for Biodiversity".
URBIO upcoming events:
URBIO Australasia conference "Urban Biodiversity and Design in Australasia: research, teaching, and collaboration opportunities East to West", Perth 31 July-2 August 2025
https://urbio2025.tilda.ws/
URBIO upcoming events
Urban Biodiversity and Design in Australasia: research, teaching, and collaboration opportunities East to West
31 July 2025 – 2 August 2025
University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, Australia
The goal of this conference is to recognise and reflect upon existing research, teaching and the collaboration of implemented projects across Australasia and to discuss current and future directions for joint research, teaching, and professional projects, as well as the exchange of expertise between researchers and practitioners from Australasia and other regions of the world. This conference specifically targets Australian and New Zealand scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders across landscape architecture, planning, urban design, and the ecological sciences. However, scholars from other regions as well as other fields of expertise such as geography, architecture, ecology, and conservation biology, would be warmly welcomed to contribute to the emerging conversation.
More information and registration at:
URBIO 2025 online webinar:
Urban Biodiversity and Design in Time of Artificial Intelligence (AI): pros and contras
10 April 2025, 13:30-15:30 CET
The webinar organized by UFZ (Diana Dushkova) and UWA (Maria Ignatieva) focused on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in urban biodiversity and design, featuring insights from various speakers and discussions on AI applications in planning, designing, monitoring, and enhancing urban ecosystems. It emphasized the importance of AI in the field andhighlighted the need to explore both its advantages and disadvantages while planning future actions.
The meeting had 159 registered participants (69 of them participated online on 10 April). The agenda included a brief overview of the survey results, short talks from 9 presenters, a discussion on the benefits and challenges of AI, as well as conclusions and next steps. Participants shared valuable insights on using AI for biodiversity monitoring, ecological connectivity and habitat optimization, and integrating AI into urban planning and design processes.
While AI offers many benefits, ethical considerations, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the verification of AI-generated insights by the experts in the field remain essential for success in this complex socio-ecological domain.
Upcoming conferences of our partners
IFLA WORLD 2025 Congress
"Guiding Landscapes"
10-12 September 2025, Nantes, France
International Federation of Landscape Architects invites you to join the World IFLA Congress - the most important annual event for the Landscape Architecture profession and the IFLA community. It offers a unique platform for professional development and networking, bringing together over a thousand participants from around the world.
Organized by the French Federation of Landscape Architects (FFP, Fédération Française du Paysage), the 61st World Congress of the International Federation of Landscape Architecture (IFLA) will take place in Nantes, France, from September 10-12, 2025, under the theme "Guiding Landscapes". This event will take place under the High Patronage of Mr Emmanuel MACRON President of the French Republic
Attendees will include practitioners, researchers, businesses, educators, students, and journalists, as well as anyone interested in the impact of landscape architecture on society, economy, and culture.
This three-day event will showcase inspiring conferences and presentations, professional visits, technical exhibition and social events and excursions, with a special focus on highlighting the Nantes region and France.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore sustainable and inclusive urban solutions, drawing inspiration from Nantes' reputation as an open urban laboratory
The city's innovative approaches to creating resilient urban districts, improving soil health, and developing urban biodiversity will serve as practical examples of landscape architecture's role in addressing major climate challenges.
More information and registration:
4th SURE World Conference
“Cities Under Global Social Transformations:
Embracing Change for a Greener Future”
16-19 July 2025, Istanbul, Turkey
The 4th SURE World Conference “Cities Under Global Social Transformations: Embracing Change for a Greener Future” July 16th - 19th 2025 will be organized by the SURE (Society for Urbna Ecology) at Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey to explore how cutting-edge research and innovative practices are redefining urban spaces to enhance ecosystem services, reduce environmental impacts, and create resilient, sustainable communities.
Be part of inter- and transdisciplinary conversations aimed at transforming cities into thriving, green, just, and sustainable environments for human and more-than-human nature – today and in the future.
The central objective of the SURE World Conference 2025 in Istanbul is to create a welcoming forum for students, scholars, experts, business leaders, and professionals from various sectors to present their research and engage in meaningful discussions.
This hybrid conference will focus on exploring and co-creating ideas, concepts, experiences, and diverse perspectives related to the ecology in, of, and for cities. Participants from all disciplines and locations across the world are encouraged to join in this dynamic exchange of knowledge and insights.
More information and registration:
URBIO 2024 Newsletter
1 November 2024
The year 2024 was signified by the successful 8th URBIO Conference ”Urban Biodiversity and Design for Local Communities,” which was held at the University of Missouri from 24 to 26 June 2024. The conference was organised by the University of Missouri. The organising committee included Prof Charles Nilon (University of Missouri), Prof Maria Ignatieva (University of Western Australia), Prof Myla Aronson (Rutgers University), Prof Christine Brodsky (Pittsburg State University, with the participation of URBIO Board members. 111 participants from 16 countries took part in the conference and keynotes were held by Charles Nilon (University of Missouri), Nicholas Williams (University of Melbourne), Maria Ignatieva (University of Western Australia) and Norbert Müller (University of Applied Sciences Erfurt).
The conference proceedings comprise 84 abstracts of oral presentations and 6 posters and are available online https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/103842The URBIO Declaration 2024 was discussed during the URBIO 2024 Conference and published in the Conference Proceedings. The next URBIO 2026 Conference “Education for urban biodiversity in design: practice-led research” is planned to be held in the City of Xi’an, China.
During the conference, we had the advisory Board Meeting where the URBIO leadership was elected for the next 4 years. Maria Ignatieva and Charles Nilon will continue their work as Presidents. As new Advisory board members were proposed and accepted: Dr. Basil Iannone (USA), Dr. Patrick Bohlen (USA), and Dr. Sabrina Drill (USA) and Dr. Eric Wood (USA). Dr. Diana Dushkova (Germany) is fulfilling the role of the URBIO Secretary General and will support the Presidents in preparing the Newsletters, holding the website and preparing the next conference.One of the goals of URBIO is also to communicate about research and practice in urban biodiversity and design through the publication of special issues based on the Conference presentations.
In October 2024, the Special issue “Integrating Biodiversity in Urban Planning and Design Processes” (based on the papers presented at the 2022 URBIO Conference in Leipzig) was published in the peer-reviewed journal Urban Ecosystems (editors Diana Dushkova, Maria Ignatieva, Charles Nilon, and Norbert Müller) https://link.springer.com/collections/ijbdcgciga. Another ongoing special Issue in the peer-reviewed journal Land on “Research in Urban Ecology: Application into Landscape Design and Green Infrastructure” (editors Maria Ignatieva and Diana Dushkova) is open for submissions from URBIO members until 21 March 2025. The URBIO Advisory Board is also searching for the opportunity to publish the next special issue based on the URBIO 2024 conference papers. Suggestions are very welcome.
One of the key URBIO strategies is the development t of collaboration among urban ecologists, landscape architects, planners, geographers, landscape ecologists, landscape architects, sociologists, and artists. IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architecture) is an important URBIO partner.On the 3rd of September 2024 at the IFLA 60 World Council Meeting in Istanbul, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoA) between IFLA and URBIO was signed by Bruno Marques (IFLA President) and Maria Ignatieva (URBIO President). This MoU aims “to formalise the collaboration and mutual understanding between IFLA and the URBIO with the objective of advancing the goals of landscape architecture and urban biodiversity to promote sustainable development and biodiversity-positive landscape design globally” (MoU 2024), by involving both inter- and transdisciplinary approaches.
During the IFLA 60 Congress in Istanbul (4-6 September 2024) Dr. Maria Ignatieva hold a keynote on the aims and challenges of URBIO and received the IFLA President’s Award. The Award is given to Maria “whose work has spanned continents, bridging gaps and fostering collaboration in the pursuit of sustainable and biodiverse urban landscapes” (https://www.iflaworld.com/ifla-presidents-award-2024).
On the last URBIO Advisory Board meeting we decided to formalise the URBIO Membership. We would like to ask our current member and those who would like to be an URBIO member to fill in the form here https://forms.gle/EE7PCsoBWNH9zsLm7
We look forward to receiving your forms.
Best wishes,
Ignatieva and Charles Nilon
URBIO Presidents