Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00336-5
Ganiyu Olalekan Bakare
Implementing urban renewal initiatives in Makoko has historically been a complex and contentious issue. I suggest a bottom-up approach that prioritizes engaging the people of Makoko from the earliest stages of intervention design through to implementation to achieve mutually beneficial spatial and economic development.
{"title":"Living on Makoko water","authors":"Ganiyu Olalekan Bakare","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00336-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00336-5","url":null,"abstract":"Implementing urban renewal initiatives in Makoko has historically been a complex and contentious issue. I suggest a bottom-up approach that prioritizes engaging the people of Makoko from the earliest stages of intervention design through to implementation to achieve mutually beneficial spatial and economic development.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 11","pages":"1011-1012"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00340-9
Yael Borofsky, Jessica Kersey, Federico Caprotti, Isabel Günther, Kenneth Harttgen, Grace Kagho, Daniel M. Kammen, David Kostenwein, Paul Kyoma Asiimwe, Tea Lobo, June Lukuyu, Xolelwa Maha, Thabisa Mayapi, Peter M. Mwesiga, Michael Nagenborg, Yamkela Rongwana, Sarah Sabry, Thandeka Tshabalala, Amarilli Varesio, Michael Walczak
Infrastructure inequities define modern cities. This Perspective reflects the viewpoint of a transdisciplinary group of co-authors working to advance infrastructural equity in low-income urban contexts. We argue that methodological silos and data fragmentation undermine the creation of a knowledge base to support coordinated action across diverse actors. As technological advances make it possible to ‘see’ informal settlements without engaging residents, our agenda advocates for (1) the integration of diverse methodological and epistemological traditions; (2) a focus on research that informs context-specific action; and (3) a commitment to ethical standards that center affected communities in efforts to improve infrastructure access. Low-income urban communities are facing infrastructural inequities. This Perspective advocates for an agenda that aims at reorienting infrastructure research by bridging methodological divides, integrating fragmented datasets and actors, and centering engagement with affected communities.
{"title":"An agenda for data-rich, action-oriented, ethical research on infrastructure in informal settlements","authors":"Yael Borofsky, Jessica Kersey, Federico Caprotti, Isabel Günther, Kenneth Harttgen, Grace Kagho, Daniel M. Kammen, David Kostenwein, Paul Kyoma Asiimwe, Tea Lobo, June Lukuyu, Xolelwa Maha, Thabisa Mayapi, Peter M. Mwesiga, Michael Nagenborg, Yamkela Rongwana, Sarah Sabry, Thandeka Tshabalala, Amarilli Varesio, Michael Walczak","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00340-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00340-9","url":null,"abstract":"Infrastructure inequities define modern cities. This Perspective reflects the viewpoint of a transdisciplinary group of co-authors working to advance infrastructural equity in low-income urban contexts. We argue that methodological silos and data fragmentation undermine the creation of a knowledge base to support coordinated action across diverse actors. As technological advances make it possible to ‘see’ informal settlements without engaging residents, our agenda advocates for (1) the integration of diverse methodological and epistemological traditions; (2) a focus on research that informs context-specific action; and (3) a commitment to ethical standards that center affected communities in efforts to improve infrastructure access. Low-income urban communities are facing infrastructural inequities. This Perspective advocates for an agenda that aims at reorienting infrastructure research by bridging methodological divides, integrating fragmented datasets and actors, and centering engagement with affected communities.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 11","pages":"1026-1036"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00349-0
Hailu Wei, Xiaohang Bai, Qinhui Lu, Jiyuan Wu, Fengmin Su, Tianzhen Hong, Qinran Hu, Wei Wang, Steven Jige Quan, Zhixing Luo, Yilong Han
The escalating global demand for urban cooling has increased the need to integrate nature-based solutions (NBS) into urban planning. These strategies help mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce energy use associated with buildings. Despite growing interest in NBS, comparative evidence on their climate-specific and scale-dependent performance remains limited. We conduct a systematic meta-analysis of 373 peer-reviewed studies (2013–2025) spanning all 16 Köppen–Geiger climate zones. The results reveal that NBS reduce daytime temperatures by 2.04 ± 0.17 °C during hot periods and lower annual cooling loads by 1.32 ± 0.06% globally. Green infrastructure outperforms blue infrastructure in both thermal regulation and energy savings across most climates. The spatial scale also critically shapes outcomes, as neighborhood-scale NBS deliver the strongest cooling effects (−2.22 ± 0.25 °C) while building-scale strategies yield optimal energy savings (8.62 ± 0.78%). These climate- and scale-dependent patterns provide actionable guidance for prioritizing NBS to strengthen urban energy resilience. Urban heat islands and rising cooling demands highlight the need for sustainable nature-based solutions. A meta-analysis of 373 studies shows nature-based solutions cut daytime temperatures by 2.04 °C and cooling loads by 1.32%, with green infrastructure being the most effective across most climates.
{"title":"Urban cooling and energy-saving effects of nature-based solutions across types and scales","authors":"Hailu Wei, Xiaohang Bai, Qinhui Lu, Jiyuan Wu, Fengmin Su, Tianzhen Hong, Qinran Hu, Wei Wang, Steven Jige Quan, Zhixing Luo, Yilong Han","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00349-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00349-0","url":null,"abstract":"The escalating global demand for urban cooling has increased the need to integrate nature-based solutions (NBS) into urban planning. These strategies help mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce energy use associated with buildings. Despite growing interest in NBS, comparative evidence on their climate-specific and scale-dependent performance remains limited. We conduct a systematic meta-analysis of 373 peer-reviewed studies (2013–2025) spanning all 16 Köppen–Geiger climate zones. The results reveal that NBS reduce daytime temperatures by 2.04 ± 0.17 °C during hot periods and lower annual cooling loads by 1.32 ± 0.06% globally. Green infrastructure outperforms blue infrastructure in both thermal regulation and energy savings across most climates. The spatial scale also critically shapes outcomes, as neighborhood-scale NBS deliver the strongest cooling effects (−2.22 ± 0.25 °C) while building-scale strategies yield optimal energy savings (8.62 ± 0.78%). These climate- and scale-dependent patterns provide actionable guidance for prioritizing NBS to strengthen urban energy resilience. Urban heat islands and rising cooling demands highlight the need for sustainable nature-based solutions. A meta-analysis of 373 studies shows nature-based solutions cut daytime temperatures by 2.04 °C and cooling loads by 1.32%, with green infrastructure being the most effective across most climates.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 12","pages":"1194-1204"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145761509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00311-0
Wei Chen
In this interview, Olumuyiwa Bayode Adegun — an associate professor in the Department of Architecture at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria — shares his experiences, expertise and insights into his dedicated efforts to address urban heat challenges faced by urban informal settlements across Africa.
{"title":"Enhancing urban heat adaptation in African informal settlements with Olumuyiwa Bayode Adegun","authors":"Wei Chen","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00311-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00311-0","url":null,"abstract":"In this interview, Olumuyiwa Bayode Adegun — an associate professor in the Department of Architecture at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria — shares his experiences, expertise and insights into his dedicated efforts to address urban heat challenges faced by urban informal settlements across Africa.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 11","pages":"1016-1017"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00344-5
Louis Kusi Frimpong, Stephen Leonard Mensah, Seth Asare Okyere
Informal settlements in African cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate risks, which is worsened by colonial-era planning legacies and exclusionary policies. This Comment advocates a decolonial, participatory approach that prioritizes local knowledge, partnerships and inclusive planning for climate-resilient futures.
{"title":"Decolonizing urban climate-resilience strategies in African informal settlements","authors":"Louis Kusi Frimpong, Stephen Leonard Mensah, Seth Asare Okyere","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00344-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00344-5","url":null,"abstract":"Informal settlements in African cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate risks, which is worsened by colonial-era planning legacies and exclusionary policies. This Comment advocates a decolonial, participatory approach that prioritizes local knowledge, partnerships and inclusive planning for climate-resilient futures.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 11","pages":"1013-1015"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00333-8
Mirna Fahmy
In dense informal settlements, green spaces disappear, which amplifies climate’s harsh impacts. Local resilience and counterefforts offer critical hope.
{"title":"The struggle for green life in Africa’s growing informal settlements","authors":"Mirna Fahmy","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00333-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00333-8","url":null,"abstract":"In dense informal settlements, green spaces disappear, which amplifies climate’s harsh impacts. Local resilience and counterefforts offer critical hope.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 11","pages":"1003-1006"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-10DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00357-0
Xianmang Xu (, ), Peiyu Zhao (, ), Jin Wang (, )
China’s progress in the improvement of air quality masks a widening gap: its heavily polluted, industrial border cities bear a disproportionate health and economic burden, which demands urgent policy shifts to avoid deepening environmental injustice.
{"title":"Unequal air-quality improvement in China","authors":"Xianmang Xu \u0000 (, ), Peiyu Zhao \u0000 (, ), Jin Wang \u0000 (, )","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00357-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00357-0","url":null,"abstract":"China’s progress in the improvement of air quality masks a widening gap: its heavily polluted, industrial border cities bear a disproportionate health and economic burden, which demands urgent policy shifts to avoid deepening environmental injustice.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 12","pages":"1117-1118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145761511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00342-7
Rafael Prieto-Curiel
Despite the evident drawbacks, car ownership and usage continue to rise globally, leading to increased pollution and urban sprawl. As alternatives, active mobility and public transport are promoted for their health, economic and environmental benefits. However, the efficiency of public transport varies widely. Metro systems, in particular, offer a high-capacity, long-distance solution, but they are expensive and only found in a limited number of cities. Trams, on the other hand, may serve as a substitute. This study compares the modal share in European cities, analyzing the differences between those that have a metro, a tram or neither. The analysis draws on a comprehensive dataset from CitiesMoving.com, which compiles and harmonizes mobility surveys from around the world according to the ABC framework (A for active mobility, B for bus and other forms of public transport and C for cars). Findings reveal that cities with a metro have a significantly lower share of car journeys than those with only a tram or no rail system. Car usage and attendant impacts continue to grow as cities expand worldwide. This study finds that European cities, especially medium and large ones, with metros have substantially lower car dependency.
{"title":"Metros reduce car use in European cities but trams do not","authors":"Rafael Prieto-Curiel","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00342-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00342-7","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the evident drawbacks, car ownership and usage continue to rise globally, leading to increased pollution and urban sprawl. As alternatives, active mobility and public transport are promoted for their health, economic and environmental benefits. However, the efficiency of public transport varies widely. Metro systems, in particular, offer a high-capacity, long-distance solution, but they are expensive and only found in a limited number of cities. Trams, on the other hand, may serve as a substitute. This study compares the modal share in European cities, analyzing the differences between those that have a metro, a tram or neither. The analysis draws on a comprehensive dataset from CitiesMoving.com, which compiles and harmonizes mobility surveys from around the world according to the ABC framework (A for active mobility, B for bus and other forms of public transport and C for cars). Findings reveal that cities with a metro have a significantly lower share of car journeys than those with only a tram or no rail system. Car usage and attendant impacts continue to grow as cities expand worldwide. This study finds that European cities, especially medium and large ones, with metros have substantially lower car dependency.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 12","pages":"1140-1147"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145761515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cities often treat solid waste and wastewater separately, missing the opportunity for resource integration. Diverting food waste into sewage streams offers a holistic solution but lacks city-scale evaluation. Here we developed the urban biowaste flux model integrating mechanistic bioprocesses with life-cycle assessment for quantifying material flows, energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions based on city-specific waste composition, treatment parameters and tariffs. We validated urban biowaste flux against detailed data from Hong Kong and applied it to 28 large cities worldwide. Our results revealed a linear rise in net costs with food waste moisture and identify a moisture threshold of about 50 kg per capita per year at which sewer integration becomes cost-effective. Optimized treatment strategies could cut overall emissions for targeted cities by up to 69% versus current separate treatment systems. Overall, the urban biowaste flux model offers policymakers a practical tool for designing sustainable and locale-specific waste management strategies. Cities often manage food waste and wastewater separately, missing recovery synergies. Across 29 cities, urban biowaste flux identifies an ~50 kg of moisture per person per year threshold above which sewer integration lowers the net costs. Optimized city-specific strategies, including integration where beneficial, can cut emissions by up to 69% versus current separate systems.
{"title":"Redefining separate or integrated food waste and wastewater streams for 29 large cities","authors":"Xu Zou, Zi Zhang, Chengyu Xiao, Liezhong Fan, Yifeng Feng, Hongxuan Wang, Jiayan Deng, Chukuan Jiang, Feixiang Zan, Hongxiao Guo, Guanghao Chen","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00341-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00341-8","url":null,"abstract":"Cities often treat solid waste and wastewater separately, missing the opportunity for resource integration. Diverting food waste into sewage streams offers a holistic solution but lacks city-scale evaluation. Here we developed the urban biowaste flux model integrating mechanistic bioprocesses with life-cycle assessment for quantifying material flows, energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions based on city-specific waste composition, treatment parameters and tariffs. We validated urban biowaste flux against detailed data from Hong Kong and applied it to 28 large cities worldwide. Our results revealed a linear rise in net costs with food waste moisture and identify a moisture threshold of about 50 kg per capita per year at which sewer integration becomes cost-effective. Optimized treatment strategies could cut overall emissions for targeted cities by up to 69% versus current separate treatment systems. Overall, the urban biowaste flux model offers policymakers a practical tool for designing sustainable and locale-specific waste management strategies. Cities often manage food waste and wastewater separately, missing recovery synergies. Across 29 cities, urban biowaste flux identifies an ~50 kg of moisture per person per year threshold above which sewer integration lowers the net costs. Optimized city-specific strategies, including integration where beneficial, can cut emissions by up to 69% versus current separate systems.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 12","pages":"1160-1171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145761508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00346-3
Haochen Shi
By seeing cities through the lens of video games, we not only discover how charming virtual worlds are constructed from real urban elements but also glimpse how the virtual might reshape our understanding — and perhaps our design — of the real.
{"title":"Seeing cities through video games","authors":"Haochen Shi","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00346-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00346-3","url":null,"abstract":"By seeing cities through the lens of video games, we not only discover how charming virtual worlds are constructed from real urban elements but also glimpse how the virtual might reshape our understanding — and perhaps our design — of the real.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 12","pages":"1112-1113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145761512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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