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Seemingly competing goals of achieving economic growth and combating climate change are dominating world conversations.
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The Ecology of Development
The Ecology of Development
A field guide to the hidden frontiers of growth: habitat loss, spatial tension with wild species and social inequality.
Development is often measured in skylines, GDP, and “green” labels — but its real footprint is ecological. From human-wildlife conflicts at the urban edge, to biodiversity falling through the cracks of sustainable finance, to rural livelihoods shaped by urban-first strategies, this Special Feature examines how growth is reorganising living systems — and what it takes to build cities sustainably without leaving ecosystems behind.
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On designing urban greening as a system
“Creating a ‘City in Nature’, a goal rooted in recent advances in ecological, engineering, and planning research, is undoubtedly a valuable and cutting-edge objective.”
Assistant Professor of Urban Studies; Urban Fellow, SMU Urban Institute, Singapore Management University
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On not leaving rural regions behind
“Urban development and rural development are two sides of the same coin. If we want to make sure no one is left behind, we can’t just focus on urbanisation and forget about the rural.”
Associate Professor of Political Science, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University
Raising the bar: how Southeast Asia is operationalising what counts as “green”
Across Southeast Asia, sustainability is moving from intent to implementation. Taxonomies are being translated into practical guidance for banks; regulators are consulting on how to standardise classifications; and nature-risk disclosure is entering the mainstream. These shifts matter because they harden the definition of “green”: credibility increasingly depends on whether projects avoid significant harm, disclose nature risk, and show measurable outcomes — not just whether they carry the right label.
Source: Learn more here
How one “development” decision travels through land, legitimacy, and livelihoods
A new estate, a new road, a “green” loan; development often looks like a single decision. But its effects don’t stay in one place. They move through systems through years: what changes on the ground, how it’s justified, and who ultimately benefits.
Click the nodes to trace the chain and see which story unpacks it.