Forward-thinking developers and landlords are incorporating green infrastructure such as living walls, outdoor green space and rooftop beehives, and embedding biodiversity. Central London’s largest property owners have formed the Wild West End partnership to build a green corridor while Berkeley Group’s Green Quarter in the west of the city is part of a commitment by the developer to create 450 acres of new or improved habitat.

Scalable solutions are critical. In Melbourne, which plans to increase canopy cover from 22 percent to 40 percent by 2040, the Urban Forest Fund provides grants for greening projects such as green roofs, to help drive uptake on buildings and larger developments.

“Green spaces enhance the liveability of a city,” says Rupert Davies, Sustainability Consultant, at JLL. “This will be increasingly important to a city’s competitiveness as businesses settle into hybrid and remote work and personal wellbeing becomes a priority.”

Local residents equally benefit from improved air quality, reduced noise from traffic and better mental and physical health from a stronger connection to nature.

As awareness around the advantages grows, so does demand for buildings that embrace biophilic design and greenery.

“Integrating biodiversity, especially in larger developments, will attract occupiers and enhance overall asset value, so there’s a financial incentive that may not have been there a decade ago,” says Davies.

Yet today’s decision-making needs to look far beyond shorter-term gains. “There’s an opportunity to significantly improve quality of life as well as business revenues by creating cities that are truly more liveable and sustainable over the long term because they are more resilient to climate change,” Skeldon says. “This resilience is what the real estate companies – alongside cities – need to target, rather than simply responding to market demand or to get ahead of legislation.”