Designing the Multi-Species City: Bats

Visualizing urban migration corridors for the bat populations of Oudenaarde.

A collaboration with RLVA

The Context: Beyond Human-Centric Design

Historically, urban planning has been an exercise in human-centric land management, often at the expense of local biodiversity. As we acknowledge our impact on the planet, a new paradigm is emerging: Multi-species Urbanism.This approach recognizes our duty to design habitats where humans and other species can thrive together.

Regionaal Landschap Vlaamse Ardennen (RLVA) commissioned me for the project ‘Vleerwegen’ to visualize this transition for the city of Oudenaarde. The city is strategically vital for regional bat populations, specifically those migrating from the Kezelfort—a historic fortress repurposed as a critical winter refuge.

The Challenge: Mapping Invisible Corridors

The goal was to create a strategic map that translates scientific studies on bat migration into a series of actionable urban design interventions. Bats rely on "dark corridors" and specific landscape features to navigate. In a brightly lit, fragmented city, these paths are often blocked.

My task was to make these invisible ecological needs visible to policymakers and citizens alike.

Strategic Artistic Development

Translating Vision into Cartography

The foundation of this project was a comprehensive vision document provided by RLVA. This research identified strategic flight routes and specific "bottlenecks" in the urban fabric where bat migration was being disrupted. My role was to act as the visual bridge, translating these technical design rules into a clear, dual-layered narrative.

Excerpt of connectivity network study for bats in Oudenaarde, authored by Sem Verhoeven for Regionaal Landschap Vlaamse Ardennen (RLVA).

Some of the bat species native to the region

The Power of "Before & After"

To communicate the potential for change, we developed a comparative map system. The "Base Map"focused on essential orientation:

• Contextual Landmarks: Including well-known city features to ensure the map felt familiar to local residents.
• Navigational Features: Highlighting existing tree lines and structural shrubbery
  —the "highways" bats use for echolocation.
• Strategic Simplification: I deliberately kept the base map clean to avoid cognitive overload, ensuring the ecological data remained the primary focus.

Some of the landmarks that I needed to include in the map

Multi-Scalar Visualization

A key challenge was displaying broad migration routes while simultaneously explaining detailed, site-specific design interventions. To solve this, I implemented a "Detail Balloon" system:

• Using solid, flat-colored callouts, I "zoomed in" on specific architectural and landscape solutions without losing the context of the larger city map.
• This allowed the reader to see the "Big Picture" (the migration corridor) and the "Small Detail" (the specific nesting or lighting solution) in one glance.

Iterative Collaboration

Through a series of concept sketches and an expanded library of detail options, I provided RLVA with a range of visual solutions. This iterative process ensured the final artwork was not only aesthetically powerful but also perfectly aligned with the client’s strategic communication goals.

Balloon sketches

Iterative Collaboration

Through a series of concept sketches and an expanded library of detail options, I provided RLVA with a range of visual solutions. This iterative process ensured the final artwork was not only aesthetically powerful but also perfectly aligned with the client’s strategic communication goals.

Concept map designed. by RLVA

Before-After Map concept sketches

The Outcome – Mapping a Multi-Species Future

A Narrative for Urban Coexistence

The final result is a high-impact "Before & After" cartography that transforms complex ecological data into a clear, unified message. By using a strategic color palette and intentional visual hierarchy, the maps guide the viewer toward one core realization: a bat-inclusive city is a more resilient city.

Bridging the Known and the Imagined

The map maintains a strong sense of place by incorporating Oudenaarde’s recognizable landmarks. It acknowledges the city's current green infrastructure while revealing its untapped potential. The "After" map serves as a visionary blueprint, illustrating the cumulative power of small-scale interventions:

• Strategic Corridors: Strengthening connections between vital regional nature reserves like Bos t’ Ename and recreational green site Den Donk.
• Agricultural Synergy: Visualizing how supporting farmers in planting hedges and wildflower meadows creates essential hunting grounds for bat populations.
• Urban Greening:Demonstrating the impact of increased treelines as navigational "highways" within the built environment.

A Tool for Advocacy and Action

The final artwork provides RLVAwith a powerful asset for stakeholder engagement. Designed to be understood at a glance without prior technical knowledge, the map is perfectly suited for:

• Policy Proposals:Persuading stakeholders and city officials of the feasibility of green-blue infrastructure.
• Public Outreach:Serving as the centerpiece for presentations, brochures, and educational booklets.
• Strategic Communication:Making the "invisible" migration of a protected species a visible part of the city's identity.

The final illustrations