Directions for Research on Incentivising and Governing the Increase of Biodiversity in Cities with Blockchain Technologies

Abstract: Biodiversity is crucial in sustaining all life on earth. However, extinction of species critical to the functioning of our global ecosystem is a direct threat to biodiversity. The built environment in its urban forms is one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss through the exploitation of finite resources and land use on which it sits. In this paper we consider the application of blockchain to create new forms of incentivisation and governance for maintaining and increasing biodiversity in cities at the intersection of co-design, blockchain, biodiversity, and design and planning, and propose directions for future research on this topic.