How 'compact cities' guide growth while protecting people and planet

Urban growth and expansion are defining trends of the 21st century, particularly pronounced in the developing world and emerging economies. Doubling populations and increasing numbers of people experiencing poverty and who are unhoused are just a few examples of the damage sprawl can wreak. When development grows unchecked, those without resources must live further and further away from a city’s centre.

Urban expansion impacts a city’s people but it can also have an especially dire impact on nature and biodiversity as extended infrastructure encroaches on agricultural land, forests, water bodies and other floodable areas. Currently, about 70–75% of total natural resources are consumed within urban areas. Material consumption by cities is projected to grow from 40 billion tonnes in 2010 to 90 billion tonnes by 2050, exceeding what the planet can sustainably provide.

While urban growth is inevitable and one of our times’ most remarkable spatial phenomena, it does not necessarily need to result in the unchecked expansion of cities’ spatial footprints. Compact city strategies, focusing on higher density and efficient land use can help mitigate the negative impacts of urban sprawl in nature.

Compact cities are characterized by dense development patterns, connected public transportation systems and easy access to local services and employment opportunities. As such, they can provide a suitable alternative to respond to the needs of growing urban areas. Compact cities also lessen the environmental impact, with shorter intra-urban distances and less automobile dependency.

More holistic compact strategies can be put in place to prevent sprawl and protect nature in the peri-urban areas while controlling land price increases and ensuring the availability of affordable housing. Such holistic compact strategies include:

As cities often grow and expand spatially in an unplanned way, the urgency of closing the gap in basic services and infrastructure provision will persist; thus plans must be continuously reviewed and updated.

Any planning strategy must come with sound policies that avoid “compact but disposable” cities lacking long-term viability. Densification strategies must, therefore, be accompanied by policies that encourage modernization and monitoring of resource consumption, transportation systems and in some cases, control of informal settlements.

Planning must also include substantial investment in infrastructure projects, such as roads, public transit systems, metropolitan parks, public facilities and utilities, factoring in how these projects will affect nature and the most vulnerable populations. In concert with these efforts, governments must enhance social services, including education and healthcare, to meet the growing demands.

For cities to balance urban growth with a nature-positive future, frameworks are being developed by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, that include guidelines and clear actions for cities to start the journey, ensuring the appropriate enabling environment is in place.

Still, more work is needed. With education and a mindset shift, leaders will have the tools to guide their growth into the decades ahead.

More considerations on key steps necessary for cities to reap the benefits of a nature-positive transition can be found within the Nature Positive: Guidelines for the Transition in Cities report by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman. This article is part of a series of publications from the Nature-Positive Cities initiative, by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman.