Rapid urbanization in recent decades poses threats to social stability, economic prosperity, and environmental and human health, prioritized in European and Global Agendas. Despite cities occupying just 3% of Earth’s landmass, they significantly contribute to and suffer from the climate crisis. In response, cities are implementing programs centered on healthier design, sustainable planning, and greenification. While reducing environmental impact, these actions often overlook social implications, including the health benefits of nature. Modern lifestyle and widespread technology addiction led us to spend up to 90% of our time indoors, negatively impacting the urban quality of life. Conversely, growing evidence indicates that regular exposure to nature improves our health and social relationships. This explains the growing interest in biophilia, grounded in humans’ innate affiliation with living beings and systems. Albeit several disciplines having proven multiple benefits of biophilia for both people and the environment, there are limitations to broader and intersectoral progress: issues such as scientific objectivity, measurability, upscaling, and the implementation of Biophilic Urbanism require further investigation. To address these gaps, BIO-POLIS promotes the biophilic city as a holistic urban model to enhance livability by restoring human-nature interaction and to foster climate resilience by maximizing the use of nature in city planning. In compliance with SDGs (3,11,13,15,17), and addressing the 5th and 6th societal challenges of Horizon 2020, BIO-POLIS acknowledges the pivotal role of natural capital in making cities more inclusive, safe, and resilient.
