Publication Type
Editorial
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
11-2021
Abstract
Urbanization represents the single most impactful and long-lasting transformation of the Earth system since the dawn of civilization. Cities are simultaneously locations of innovation, social connectivity, and wealth, but they also create local-to-global environmental degradation and socioeconomic disparities. For example, food provision for cities has required significant land-use change and fertilizer input, has altered regional climate, biogeochemical cycles, and degraded marine and landscapes through biodiversity loss, algal blooms and fish kills. To maintain urban livelihoods and the provision of goods and services, cities require vast amounts of energy (e.g. to provide access to transport, cooling systems), which are massive producers of greenhouse gases, the main culprit of global change. Future urbanization will need to be transformative—wholly different from how we have designed, built, and powered cities and towns—so that they can be sustainable and resilient.
Discipline
Environmental Sciences | Place and Environment | Urban Studies and Planning
Research Areas
Integrative Research Areas
Publication
Environmental Research Letters
Volume
16
Issue
12
First Page
1
Last Page
6
ISSN
1748-9326
Identifier
10.1088/1748-9326/ac37d1
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Citation
GEORGESCU, M.; ARABI, M.; CHOW, Winston T. L.; MACK, E.; and SETO, K. C., "Focus on sustainable cities: Urban solutions toward desired outcomes" (2021). Research Collection School of Social Sciences. Paper 3478.
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3478
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3478
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac37d1
Included in
Environmental Sciences Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons