Satoyama refers to a way of connecting people through "ribbons of green" and with master-planned communities, it comes into play in a number of ways. One of the issues when building communities is how the natural landscape is altered through cutting down trees, filling in watercourses and building houses. These changes to the landscape inevitably affect the local fauna and flora.

But by working in reverse - taking into account the natural habitat first - the development and nature can be integrated more harmoniously.

In Singapore biodiversity is an important part of urban life. The city works hard at establishing connections between its urban environments and nature. For example, its National Parks Board has developed an urban biodiversity conservation model that aims to conserve Singapore's eco-systems.

One example of incorporating biodiversity into its urban environment is its Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, which aspires to be a "hospital in a garden" where terrace and roof gardens and therapeutic green spaces provide for calming surroundings.

Iceland is increasingly aware that any new developments need to take into account the existing habitat - especially when the country's landscape is one of the key reasons for its high tourist numbers. The capital Reykjavik's Municipal Plan 2010-2030 states green and recreational areas are to be saved and treasured.

Sydney-based landscape design and arboriculture consultancy, ecodesign, believes in the satoyama principles. Director Adrian Swain says his company's mission is to integrate external natural environments, people and architecture to create harmonious living spaces that can be enjoyed for generations.

"Integrating life into the landscape is a lot of what we do," he says. "Inherently people have a deep affinity with green areas. They feel calmer when they enter them."

Swain says the principle behind satoyama incorporates finding refuge for flora and fauna. "We can do this in our own backyards if you consider those corners that are often neglected.These are areas where the natural systems find balance and don't need a lot of maintenance."

Developers are increasingly adding more natural elements to their designs through rooftop terraces and green walls although Swain doesn't classify elements such as vertical gardens as natural. "They involve a lot of plastic and less natural materials," he says. "They also require a lot of electricity. It is a highly artificial construct that requires a lot of input without much output."

Swain says his designs try and mimic natural environments. "A happy plant will grow well," he says. "We try and observe what naturally works. With our plant knowledge we can identify which plants will grow and thrive in particular environments with minimum maintenance. It's worked for thousands of years. Nature does find its balance and survives well without much maintenance."

Meanwhile, the philosophy of satoyama runs through everything developer Sekisui House does. Paul Wainwright is sales and marketing operations manager for one of Sekisui House's developments at Sydney's Norwest - The Orchards, a master-planned community of 1300 apartments.

"When we first look at a large site, we consider the natural quality of the land, including any existing trees or watercourses that can inform the approach to the site's development," Wainwright says. "Our buildings are designed to fit the site rather than have the site fit the buildings."

Wainwright notes the main driveway to The Orchards features heritage pine trees that were planted around 200 years ago. "We are retaining many of these along with an additional 100 significant trees throughout the estate to create a 1.4 hectare publicly accessible park," he says.

Another Sekisui House development is The Hermitage, a 320-hectare master-planned community at Gledswood Hills in Sydney's south-west. Upon completion, The Hermitage will boast approximately 50 per cent dedicated open space. A considerable portion of the master-plan is located on an old golf course and the considered master-planning has attempted to position precincts within their own unique and identifying natural surrounds.

Craig Barnes, estate sales and customer relations manager at Sekisui House, says the satoyama philosophy applies to this site by connecting people with the green open spaces and the natural environment.

"We have endeavoured to retain as much of the existing flora from the original site as possible," he says. "Several streets within The Hermitage meander through old golf fairways, allowing us to retain many of the existing trees. This also applies to our current and future pocket parks, with a number being constructed on old golf greens."