Air pollution, which is responsible for 9% of deaths worldwide and many health issues ( Ritchie & Roser, 2017), is also a particularly accute problem in cities, due to transportion and production patterns. Urban areas also generate considerable amounts of waste, much of which remains poorly managed and becomes hazardous to people’s and ecosystems’ health. Cities are also a major contributor to climate change, as they are responsible for around 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions ( UNEP). Urban sprawl transforms landscapes, thereby affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. On the other hand, cities are a major driver of environmental change. Around one-third of the world’s population lives in cities at risk of cyclones, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides or volcanic eruptions ( UN DESA, 2018) Climate change further exacerbate these risks with more frequent and intense floods, droughts, sea level rise, heatwaves, landslides and storms ( WMO, 2021). On the one hand, the environment directly impacts cities and their populations. As cities do not exist in a vacuum, addressing these challenges cannot be complete without considering the multiple links between cities and the environment. Responding to the needs of urban populations comes with many challenges, whether related to housing, transportation, energy systems, infrastructure, employment or basic services. As the world continues to urbanize, cities have become key players in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cities are also powerhouses of economic growth, contributing about 80% of global GDP ( World Bank, 2020). Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this proportion is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 ( UN, 2018).
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