PNAS: Nature-based Solutions for Urban Sustainability
The Nature-based Solutions for Urban Sustainability Special Feature highlights the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in addressing the complex challenges of urban resilience and sustainability amid climate change. NBS are defined as strategies that incorporate natural processes to improve urban environments, mitigate climate risks, and promote public health and equity. Unlike rigid engineered infrastructure, NBS offer flexible, adaptive responses to growing urban pressures. The articles stress that while momentum for urban NBS is growing, further interdisciplinary research, participatory governance, and integration of diverse knowledge systems are critical to scaling up their impact equitably across different global contexts. Co-edited by Dr. Timon McPhearson of New York University and Dr. Nancy B. Grimm of Arizona State University, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
This Special Feature builds on the work of NATURA—Nature-based Solutions for Urban Resilience in the Anthropocene—a global “network of networks” supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. NATURA brings together over 45 partner networks from seven world regions to connect scientists, city officials, community leaders, and design professionals working on urban NbS. Many of the authors featured in this issue are early-career scholars and practitioners engaged in the NATURA community, representing a diverse array of geographic and disciplinary perspectives. Learn more at https://natura-net.org/