Rapid urbanization, landscape fragmentation and habitat loss necessitate decisive action to restore habitats within urban settings. Research in urban ecology has shown that biodiversity and ecosystem function can be supported by urban environments, while social-ecological research has found that aesthetic landscape perception and human-wildlife interaction are key to the success of conservation and land stewardship initiatives. Yet there is a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration drawing on these studies to translate ecological research into urban design practice and tools for public engagement. The Baltimore Biodiversity Toolkit project is an interdisciplinary effort that promotes residential-scale planting in the Baltimore region to support a group of twenty locally native animal species at the landscape scale. Given the potential for urban and suburban yards to support viable habitat networks, particularly for mobile species, the project aims to inspire and connect Baltimore residents with resources they need to plant appropriately for these charismatic ambassador species and to document their observations through citizen science platforms. Landscape architects are uniquely positioned to bridge gaps between the scientists, planners, designers, and communities who must work together to improve and protect urban biodiversity. They have the capacity to act as translators of scientific research into formal and informal landscape modification at multiple scales, through the visual communication of scientific concepts and the design of attractive, biodiverse urban spaces.
Results/Conclusions
Drawing on a review of landscape ecology, restoration ecology, and landscape architecture literature, a theoretical framework for the Baltimore Biodiversity Toolkit was developed. This framework became the conceptual basis for a public-facing poster series that communicates basic ecological concepts that underlie ecological planting design, such as the ideas of ecological niche, seasonal resource availability and redundancy, and habitat structure. The poster series illustrates basic planting design ideas for common urban housing typologies in Baltimore, and visually connects urban yards, lots, and remnant spaces with habitats exhibiting analogous conditions in the wild. The series uses inspirational illustration and conceptual modeling to depict a process of habitat-centered urban garden design for any interested member of the public.