July 2014: ICLEI Canada and the Toronto and Region Conservation have launched ‘biodiverCities: A Primer on Nature in Cities,’ which focuses on the role of biodiversity in building more sustainable cities.

Intended for urban decision makers, the primer presents a range of case studies, mechanisms and best practices that have produced positive results, focusing on practical, action-orientated “milestones” that municipalities can follow as they pursue biodiversity plans.

The primer includes a message for urban decision makers, focusing on whose responsibility it is to protect biodiversity in cities, the integral role of biodiversity in achieving a healthy, thriving and sustainable city, and how biodiversity is “everybody’s business.” It also contains sections on what cities can do to protect biodiversity, and local examples of urban biodiversity in cities. The Urban Biodiversity Management Guidebook is annexed to the primer.

The key messages of the publication are: biodiversity exists in every community, including cities; municipal decision makers can influence the “mainstreaming” of urban biodiversity issues through a set of tools and resources at their disposal; and by sharing experiences in urban biodiversity preservation and restoration, a lot can be learnt from communities that have successfully implemented biodiversity initiatives and programmes. [ICLEI Canada Press Release] [Publication: biodiverCities: A Primer on Nature in Cities]