Assessing Urban Biodiversity | Thriving Cities Webinar
- 9 hours ago
- 1 min read
What makes a thriving city?
The People, Cities and Nature team are running a webinar as part of their Thriving Cities series, focused on assessing urban biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This session introduces the New Zealand Biodiversity Factor, a suite of tools designed to measure the biodiversity value of backyards, residential developments, commercial sites and urban spaces. The aim is simple but powerful: shift from biodiversity loss to biodiversity gain in our cities.
Presenters:
Professor Yolanda van Heezik and Jacqui Theis, University of Otago
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
The webinar explores how biodiversity measurement can support planning decisions, compare outcomes before and after development, and guide better urban design. For teachers working with sustainability, environmental science, geography or urban futures contexts, this is a useful lens into how research connects directly to policy and practice.
If you are interested in how cities across Aotearoa can better support wildlife, soil health and human wellbeing, this one is worth a look.
You can find the full details and register via the People, Cities and Nature website.