Researchers are developing new sustainable city design software.

New technologies could enhance people's lives and save billions of dollars for communities around the world. For example, the Stanford Natural Capital Project develops free, open-source software to build maps to depict nature and human welfare linkages.

As a result, city planners and developers can visualize software where nature investment, such as parks and marshlands, may optimize people's advantages such as flood protection and better health.

"This programme helps to plan cities better for both human beings and nature," said Anne Guerry, chief strategic officer, and scientific director for the Natural Capital Project. "Nature in cities is a multitasking benefactor—trees on your block can help cool your apartment on hot summer days.

At the same time, they're absorbing carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, providing a free, accessible area to keep healthy through physical activity, and simply making your city a nicer place to live."

Experts predict that by 2050, more than 70% of the world's population will live in cities, with more than 80% already doing so in the United States.

As the world gets more urban, developers and city planners are becoming more involved in infrastructure development, such as tree-lined roads and community gardens, which provide people with various benefits.

But when planners don't have information on where to practice most or how a community garden could protect a neighbourhood from the risks of flooding while encouraging people to refresh themselves emotionally, they won't be able to invest wisely in nature.

Urban InVEST is the first program in its type for cities that allows merging environmental data, such as the pattern of temperature and social demographics, and economic data, such as the level of income.

Users can either enter the data sets of their city in the software or use a range of accessible global data sources, including NASA satellites to local weather stations.

The new software includes a set of tools developed for specialists to map and model the advantages that nature delivers for people, the existing InVEST software package for the Natural Capital Project.

The researchers put Urban InVEST to the test in several cities worldwide, including Paris, France; Lausanne, Switzerland; Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China; and San Francisco and Minneapolis, United States.

In many cases, they collaborated on priority issues with local partners – in Paris, politicians at municipal elections campaigned on urban greenery needs. At the same time, planers decided on how to reuse under-utilized golf courtyards in Minneapolis.