Schoolyard greening to improve functional connectivity in the city and support biodiversity

Urban greening is increasingly recognized as a nature-based solution (NBS) to address climate adaptation, social equity, and biodiversity conservation challenges. This study explores the innovative potential of schoolyards as key elements of urban green infrastructure (GI) to enhance ecological connectivity and support biodiversity in fragmented urban landscapes. By focusing on four European cities—Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, and Rotterdam—the research combines spatial modeling and ecological network analyses to assess the current and potential contributions of schoolyards to urban functional connectivity for tree-dependent species. The findings reveal marked spatial contrasts, influenced by historical urban planning and vegetation distribution, with schools near large green areas offering the highest connectivity gains. While individual schoolyards yield modest improvements, their dense spatial distribution presents a strategic opportunity to densify urban ecological networks, particularly in vegetation-deficient zones. Beyond their ecological value, green schoolyards provide co-benefits such as urban cooling, enhanced learning environments, and increased social cohesion, embodying the multifunctionality central to NBS frameworks. By integrating biodiversity goals with broader social and climate objectives, this research offers scientific insights to guide urban greening strategies, emphasizing the ecological potential of schoolyards to densify connectivity and support urban biodiversity. • Schoolyards can serve as strategic nature-based solutions for enhancing biodiversity and urban resilience. • Ecological network modeling highlights the role of schoolyards in improving urban functional connectivity. • Greening schoolyards densifies ecological networks, especially in areas deficient in vegetation. • The study highlights spatial contrasts in schoolyard potential, providing a scientific basis for targeted greening strategies.