There is increasing evidence that our approach to development, including urban development, is not ecologically sustainable. Engineered services can both influence and impact on urban ecology. The engineered facility of an urban area is a product of a design process. This paper looks at the move towards ecological engineering, the rationale of which is to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle through urban designs that are ecologically and socially integrated. While it is increasingly important for engineers to be more ecologically aware, it is likely to be more efficient if the process of urban design and planning engaged an appropriate interdisciplinary approach.