CREDITS: 1 CM

ABSTRACT

Birds & the Built Environment explores how communities can leverage bird-friendly planning and design to advance a wide range of planning, sustainability, and quality-of-life goals …all while bringing the joy of birds and nature to a broad cross-section of your community. As bird populations face increasing threats from habitat loss, building collisions, lighting, and fragmented landscapes, planners are uniquely positioned to influence outcomes through policy, design, infrastructure, and community engagement.

Bird-focused strategies can support broad municipal objectives including climate resilience, green infrastructure, beautification, economic development, public health, and community identity. Presenters will discuss the ecological significance of the region within the Mississippi Flyway and outline the major built-environment drivers of bird mortality that planners can address. Case studies ranging from Chicago’s lakefront to restored prairie landscapes and suburban communities with Bird City Illinois designation will demonstrate how bird-friendly planning can be adapted across diverse local contexts.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

1. Understand how bird-friendly planning and design strategies can help communities advance broader goals related to sustainability, green infrastructure, resilience, public health, place-making, community-building and economic development.
2. Identify the primary built-environment factors contributing to bird mortality and habitat loss including glazing, lighting, landscape design, land use, and habitat fragmentation and understand where planners can influence outcomes.
3. Explore practical implementation tools, policies, and case studies that Illinois communities can use to integrate bird-friendly planning across urban, suburban, rural, and industrial contexts.