Urban expansion and construction displace and injure wildlife at enormous scale, but thoughtful design and timing can substantially reduce welfare impacts on urban-adapted species.
Construction impacts on urban wildlife are largely preventable with modest planning investments. Timing construction activities to avoid breeding seasons reduces the most acute welfare impacts on nesting birds and denning mammals. Ecological surveys that identify protected species before work begins prevent inadvertent destruction of protected nests and dens. Bird-safe glazing on new buildings prevents the billions of window strikes that kill birds annually. Lighting management reduces bat and insect disruption. These measures add minimal cost when built into design from the start but are expensive retrofits on completed buildings. Planning regulation that requires ecological welfare consideration is the most scalable intervention.