Designing Resilient Cities: Nature-Based Solutions for an Urban Planet

Four out of five U.S. residents already live in cities. Globally rapid urbanization means two thirds of all humanity will live in cities in the next two decades. If the human species is going to maintain deep connection to nature, it must happen in urban areas. Nature in cities provides enormous benefits for climate change adaptation, human physical and mental health, and biodiversity. And yet, most urban growth still follows a 20th century model of infrastructure development that paves over nature. With global biodiversity in crisis, and climate change threatening nearly every city in the world, designing cities with nature is critical to advance resilience, adaptation, and more livable urban environments. The first global assessment of nature-based solutions in cities shows ongoing challenges for financing, implementing, and prioritizing nature in urban design and development. Yet bright spots of innovative planning and design with nature point the way toward a positive future with potential to improve life for both human and non-human species on our urban planet.