Pub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00321-y
Irene Farah, Ryan Thomas Devlin, Chris Hartmann, Jenna Harvey, Christine Hegel
How do local regulations and practices enable or constrain informal work’s potential to contribute to inclusive economic development in US cities? Amid employment and migration crises, informal work provides critical safety nets for those excluded from formal labor markets. Urban planning approaches in San Francisco and New York City often dismiss, disregard or disable informal workers. Examining street vendors and waste pickers, we show how status quo regulatory approaches are not only exclusionary but also miss opportunities to recognize these workers’ contributions. We draw from case studies in the Global South to propose an alternate, inclusive governance approach. Informal workers contribute meaningfully to cities worldwide. This Perspective argues that current regulatory approaches in San Francisco and New York City constrain informal work and workers, considering cases from the Global South in service of a more inclusive approach.
{"title":"The governance of informal street work in San Francisco and New York City","authors":"Irene Farah, Ryan Thomas Devlin, Chris Hartmann, Jenna Harvey, Christine Hegel","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00321-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00321-y","url":null,"abstract":"How do local regulations and practices enable or constrain informal work’s potential to contribute to inclusive economic development in US cities? Amid employment and migration crises, informal work provides critical safety nets for those excluded from formal labor markets. Urban planning approaches in San Francisco and New York City often dismiss, disregard or disable informal workers. Examining street vendors and waste pickers, we show how status quo regulatory approaches are not only exclusionary but also miss opportunities to recognize these workers’ contributions. We draw from case studies in the Global South to propose an alternate, inclusive governance approach. Informal workers contribute meaningfully to cities worldwide. This Perspective argues that current regulatory approaches in San Francisco and New York City constrain informal work and workers, considering cases from the Global South in service of a more inclusive approach.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 10","pages":"918-923"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317847","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}
The escalating trend of global hillside urban expansion threatens terrestrial biodiversity and undermines global initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Biodiversity Framework. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by examining the impacts of hillside urban expansion on terrestrial biodiversity across multiple scales, integrating multi-source high-resolution data with terrestrial vertebrate species datasets. Our results reveal substantial global hillside urban expansion (11.65 Mha) between 2000 and 2020, with 35% occurring within biodiversity hotspots. It encroaches disproportionately on natural habitat compared to urban expansion in flat areas, significantly exacerbating habitat fragmentation. This has far-reaching consequences for terrestrial biodiversity, directly affecting ~70% of globally threatened species and hindering progress towards biodiversity conservation by 2050. Our findings underscore an urgent need for tailored land-use and urban planning strategies that prioritize biodiversity conservation in ecologically sensitive areas. This study lays the groundwork for the development of more sustainable land-use planning, nature conservation and urban development policies. Hillside urbanization rises as cities exhaust flat land, threatening sensitive ecosystems. Mapping of 11.65 Mha added since 2000 reveals that 35% of them are in critical areas, fragmenting habitats and endangering 70% of globally threatened species.
{"title":"Extensive terrestrial biodiversity threats from global hillside urban expansion","authors":"Kaifang Shi, Yizhen Wu, Xiufeng Sun, Yuanzheng Cui, Zuoqi Chen, Lisheng Song, Fengman Fang, Weidong Cao, Jinji Ma, Chang Huang, Lei Gao, Bailang Yu, Brett A. Bryan","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00316-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00316-9","url":null,"abstract":"The escalating trend of global hillside urban expansion threatens terrestrial biodiversity and undermines global initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Biodiversity Framework. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by examining the impacts of hillside urban expansion on terrestrial biodiversity across multiple scales, integrating multi-source high-resolution data with terrestrial vertebrate species datasets. Our results reveal substantial global hillside urban expansion (11.65 Mha) between 2000 and 2020, with 35% occurring within biodiversity hotspots. It encroaches disproportionately on natural habitat compared to urban expansion in flat areas, significantly exacerbating habitat fragmentation. This has far-reaching consequences for terrestrial biodiversity, directly affecting ~70% of globally threatened species and hindering progress towards biodiversity conservation by 2050. Our findings underscore an urgent need for tailored land-use and urban planning strategies that prioritize biodiversity conservation in ecologically sensitive areas. This study lays the groundwork for the development of more sustainable land-use planning, nature conservation and urban development policies. Hillside urbanization rises as cities exhaust flat land, threatening sensitive ecosystems. Mapping of 11.65 Mha added since 2000 reveals that 35% of them are in critical areas, fragmenting habitats and endangering 70% of globally threatened species.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 10","pages":"937-947"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317842","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 : 2025-09-05DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00312-z
The effects of warfare on urban sustainability tend to escape traditional measurements and inventories, but now a satellite-constellation-based approach exposes how warfare is unleashing plumes of methane across battlefronts in Ukraine. Emission patterns flip: cities surge from levels that are a fraction of rural emissions to levels that are many times higher.
{"title":"Satellite analysis of methane emissions connects war and urban sustainability","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00312-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00312-z","url":null,"abstract":"The effects of warfare on urban sustainability tend to escape traditional measurements and inventories, but now a satellite-constellation-based approach exposes how warfare is unleashing plumes of methane across battlefronts in Ukraine. Emission patterns flip: cities surge from levels that are a fraction of rural emissions to levels that are many times higher.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"781-782"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123467","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 : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00309-8
Zeyu Feng, Rong Hu, Yuqing Pan, Qianjian Xv, Jing Zhang, Qingyong Wang, Kaiqin Cao, Shufeng Liu, Alexander Baklanov, Jens Hesselbjerg Christen, Daniel Rosenfeld, John H. Seinfeld, Shaocai Yu, Pengfei Li
Historically, cities have figured prominently in wars, including as targets. However, the impacts of warfare on the environmental signatures of urban systems remain less understood. Here we propose a comprehensive satellite-constellation-based framework to systematically assess methane emissions attributable to the Russia–Ukraine war. We find that this conflict overturns the conventional urban–rural methane emissions relationship, typically dominated by rural methane emissions. Urban methane emissions, initially just 21% of rural levels, rapidly rise to match rural levels after very few attacks and escalate to ~146%–588% of rural levels under extensive and intensive warfare, revealing urban systems’ greater vulnerability to warfare disruption. Civilian infrastructure, primarily residential buildings, emerges as a major emission source, matching military facilities in both emission intensity and frequency. These findings uncover an underappreciated, direct relationship between warfare, methane emissions and urban degradation. In the context of ongoing global conflicts, this relationship underscores the urgent need to monitor the greenhouse-gas signatures of besieged cities and highlights peace as a fundamental prerequisite for achieving climate-related Sustainable Development Goals. War has myriad recognized impacts on cities and the environment. This study adds insult to injury, providing spaceborne evidence that the destruction of warfare triggers rapid and substantial increases in urban methane emissions.
{"title":"Vast and hidden urban methane emissions from the Russia–Ukraine war","authors":"Zeyu Feng, Rong Hu, Yuqing Pan, Qianjian Xv, Jing Zhang, Qingyong Wang, Kaiqin Cao, Shufeng Liu, Alexander Baklanov, Jens Hesselbjerg Christen, Daniel Rosenfeld, John H. Seinfeld, Shaocai Yu, Pengfei Li","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00309-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00309-8","url":null,"abstract":"Historically, cities have figured prominently in wars, including as targets. However, the impacts of warfare on the environmental signatures of urban systems remain less understood. Here we propose a comprehensive satellite-constellation-based framework to systematically assess methane emissions attributable to the Russia–Ukraine war. We find that this conflict overturns the conventional urban–rural methane emissions relationship, typically dominated by rural methane emissions. Urban methane emissions, initially just 21% of rural levels, rapidly rise to match rural levels after very few attacks and escalate to ~146%–588% of rural levels under extensive and intensive warfare, revealing urban systems’ greater vulnerability to warfare disruption. Civilian infrastructure, primarily residential buildings, emerges as a major emission source, matching military facilities in both emission intensity and frequency. These findings uncover an underappreciated, direct relationship between warfare, methane emissions and urban degradation. In the context of ongoing global conflicts, this relationship underscores the urgent need to monitor the greenhouse-gas signatures of besieged cities and highlights peace as a fundamental prerequisite for achieving climate-related Sustainable Development Goals. War has myriad recognized impacts on cities and the environment. This study adds insult to injury, providing spaceborne evidence that the destruction of warfare triggers rapid and substantial increases in urban methane emissions.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"884-896"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123416","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 : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00317-8
Haimeng Liu, Chuanglin Fang
Cities — as with complex living systems — could benefit from check-ups, as is happening in a new program in China. However, improvements are needed through adjusting health assessment indicators, enhancing public participation, and integrating the insights of both Eastern and Western medicine.
{"title":"China’s new program gives cities check-ups","authors":"Haimeng Liu, Chuanglin Fang","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00317-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00317-8","url":null,"abstract":"Cities — as with complex living systems — could benefit from check-ups, as is happening in a new program in China. However, improvements are needed through adjusting health assessment indicators, enhancing public participation, and integrating the insights of both Eastern and Western medicine.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 10","pages":"910-912"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317851","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 : 2025-09-02DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00315-w
Nisreen Abuwaer, Safi Ullah, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi
The urban walking experience is undergoing profound challenges as it grapples with increased threats of climate change. Effectively understanding walkability in this context requires a detailed examination of how climatic and weather extremes disrupt outdoor walking. Here the authors offer insights into the nexus between climate change and walkability, emphasizing how this connection can be examined through the lens of thermal comfort in urban environments. This nexus is explored by examining various methodologies and climatic zones to evaluate how various weather conditions—particularly extreme heat—affect walkability in cities. The assessment of thermal comfort, adaptation strategies and relevant indices enables a deeper understanding of how outdoor thermal stress impedes walkability. Overall, the walkability‒climate change nexus not only reveals the challenges to walkability, but also presents opportunities to explore climate adaptation strategies that enhance the urban pedestrian experience. Climate change is making walking in cities more difficult. This Review examines the connection between climate change and walkability, focusing on thermal comfort in complex urban environments.
{"title":"Establishing the nexus between urban walkability and thermal comfort in a changing climate","authors":"Nisreen Abuwaer, Safi Ullah, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00315-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00315-w","url":null,"abstract":"The urban walking experience is undergoing profound challenges as it grapples with increased threats of climate change. Effectively understanding walkability in this context requires a detailed examination of how climatic and weather extremes disrupt outdoor walking. Here the authors offer insights into the nexus between climate change and walkability, emphasizing how this connection can be examined through the lens of thermal comfort in urban environments. This nexus is explored by examining various methodologies and climatic zones to evaluate how various weather conditions—particularly extreme heat—affect walkability in cities. The assessment of thermal comfort, adaptation strategies and relevant indices enables a deeper understanding of how outdoor thermal stress impedes walkability. Overall, the walkability‒climate change nexus not only reveals the challenges to walkability, but also presents opportunities to explore climate adaptation strategies that enhance the urban pedestrian experience. Climate change is making walking in cities more difficult. This Review examines the connection between climate change and walkability, focusing on thermal comfort in complex urban environments.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"801-811"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123459","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 : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00314-x
Jonathan Reades, Yingjie Hu, Emmanouil Tranos, Elizabeth Delmelle
Urban researchers now have access to vast amounts of textual data—from social media and news to planning documents and property listings. These textual data provide important information about the activities of people and organizations in urban environments. Meanwhile, recent advancements in computational tools, including large language models, have expanded our ability to analyze textual data. Here we explore how these tools are reshaping the ways we analyze, understand and theorize the city through text. By outlining key developments, applications and challenges, it argues that text is no longer a ‘fringe resource’ but a central component in urban analytics with the potential to connect quantitative and qualitative researchers. Text has traditionally been used as a qualitative resource in urban research, but new tools enable large-scale quantitative analysis. This Review explores the opportunities and challenges of using text data to generate insights into cities.
{"title":"The city as text","authors":"Jonathan Reades, Yingjie Hu, Emmanouil Tranos, Elizabeth Delmelle","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00314-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00314-x","url":null,"abstract":"Urban researchers now have access to vast amounts of textual data—from social media and news to planning documents and property listings. These textual data provide important information about the activities of people and organizations in urban environments. Meanwhile, recent advancements in computational tools, including large language models, have expanded our ability to analyze textual data. Here we explore how these tools are reshaping the ways we analyze, understand and theorize the city through text. By outlining key developments, applications and challenges, it argues that text is no longer a ‘fringe resource’ but a central component in urban analytics with the potential to connect quantitative and qualitative researchers. Text has traditionally been used as a qualitative resource in urban research, but new tools enable large-scale quantitative analysis. This Review explores the opportunities and challenges of using text data to generate insights into cities.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"794-800"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123471","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 : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00303-0
Di Wang, Shiwei Chen
Mitigation and adaptation strategies are recognized as effective means to enhance urban resilience against climate change; however, their combined effects at the urban level are less studied. Here we investigate the synergistic impacts of low-carbon and climate-resilient pilot policies on urban resilience, using panel data from 286 Chinese cities (2005–2022). The findings indicate that dual-pilot policies significantly enhance the low-carbon resilience of pilot cities, outperforming single-pilot policies. The effectiveness of these policies exhibits variation across different city categories: cities subjected to extreme weather and high disaster risks demonstrate more pronounced benefits, whereas medium ecological and economic low-carbon resilience, high social low-carbon resilience and medium institutional low-carbon resilience (MMHM) cities show consistent effects and low ecological, economic, social and institutional low-carbon resilience (LLLL) cities exhibit varied responses. Furthermore, green technology innovation, human capital development and communication infrastructure are critical to improving policy effectiveness. The diversity and integration of policy instruments, along with the multidimensionality and synergy of policy objectives, are essential for effective climate action. It is recommended that cities integrate both mitigation and adaptation strategies to optimize synergies and bolster urban resilience. Dual implementation of climate mitigation and adaptation policies in Chinese cities significantly enhances low-carbon resilience, particularly under extreme weather, through green innovation, human capital and infrastructure. This integrated approach offers a model for urban climate governance, emphasizing co-benefits and tailored strategies for diverse city types.
{"title":"Synergistic action on mitigation and adaptation pilot policies to enhance low-carbon resilience of Chinese cities","authors":"Di Wang, Shiwei Chen","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00303-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00303-0","url":null,"abstract":"Mitigation and adaptation strategies are recognized as effective means to enhance urban resilience against climate change; however, their combined effects at the urban level are less studied. Here we investigate the synergistic impacts of low-carbon and climate-resilient pilot policies on urban resilience, using panel data from 286 Chinese cities (2005–2022). The findings indicate that dual-pilot policies significantly enhance the low-carbon resilience of pilot cities, outperforming single-pilot policies. The effectiveness of these policies exhibits variation across different city categories: cities subjected to extreme weather and high disaster risks demonstrate more pronounced benefits, whereas medium ecological and economic low-carbon resilience, high social low-carbon resilience and medium institutional low-carbon resilience (MMHM) cities show consistent effects and low ecological, economic, social and institutional low-carbon resilience (LLLL) cities exhibit varied responses. Furthermore, green technology innovation, human capital development and communication infrastructure are critical to improving policy effectiveness. The diversity and integration of policy instruments, along with the multidimensionality and synergy of policy objectives, are essential for effective climate action. It is recommended that cities integrate both mitigation and adaptation strategies to optimize synergies and bolster urban resilience. Dual implementation of climate mitigation and adaptation policies in Chinese cities significantly enhances low-carbon resilience, particularly under extreme weather, through green innovation, human capital and infrastructure. This integrated approach offers a model for urban climate governance, emphasizing co-benefits and tailored strategies for diverse city types.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"812-824"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123460","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 : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00307-w
Nicolas Mondolfo, Antoine Leblois, Philippe Delacote, Léa Tardieu
Ethnic minorities often face environmental inequalities, as they are more likely to be exposed to hazardous and polluting facilities. Yet the role of urban planning on shaping these inequalities, particularly in Europe, remains understudied. The siting of Traveller sites offers a clear example of how repeated urban planning decisions can produce systemic discrimination, as local representatives determine where Travellers are allowed to stay, thereby directly influencing their exposure to environmental disamenities. Here by linking Traveller sites in France with socioeconomic and environmental data, we provide statistical evidence that Traveller sites are more likely to be implemented in cities with more disamenities and that sites are more exposed than any other residential areas within these cities (even other disadvantaged households). On the basis of our findings, we discuss two potential mechanisms that may underpin this discrimination: cost minimization and discriminatory preferences of local representatives and residents. The Travellers case illustrates the need for more thorough examinations of how urban planning decisions contribute to socio-spatial inequalities, particularly in the European context. French planning decisions systematically locate Traveller sites near environmental disamenities. This study reveals disproportionate exposure to waste facilities and highways compared to other residential areas.
{"title":"Urban planning decisions expose Traveller sites to disproportionate environmental burdens","authors":"Nicolas Mondolfo, Antoine Leblois, Philippe Delacote, Léa Tardieu","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00307-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00307-w","url":null,"abstract":"Ethnic minorities often face environmental inequalities, as they are more likely to be exposed to hazardous and polluting facilities. Yet the role of urban planning on shaping these inequalities, particularly in Europe, remains understudied. The siting of Traveller sites offers a clear example of how repeated urban planning decisions can produce systemic discrimination, as local representatives determine where Travellers are allowed to stay, thereby directly influencing their exposure to environmental disamenities. Here by linking Traveller sites in France with socioeconomic and environmental data, we provide statistical evidence that Traveller sites are more likely to be implemented in cities with more disamenities and that sites are more exposed than any other residential areas within these cities (even other disadvantaged households). On the basis of our findings, we discuss two potential mechanisms that may underpin this discrimination: cost minimization and discriminatory preferences of local representatives and residents. The Travellers case illustrates the need for more thorough examinations of how urban planning decisions contribute to socio-spatial inequalities, particularly in the European context. French planning decisions systematically locate Traveller sites near environmental disamenities. This study reveals disproportionate exposure to waste facilities and highways compared to other residential areas.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"865-874"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123418","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 : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00305-y
Yuan Lai, Haoxiang Zhao
The integrated concept of ‘smart cities’ has emerged as a key focus of contemporary research, yet efforts remain fragmented, split between technology-driven and human-centered approaches. Here we leverage open data and large language models to analyze smart city research proposals funded by the National Science Foundation in the USA and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Our findings reveal common scientific inquiries alongside divergent research trajectories shaped by national contexts, exposing a persistent tension between techno-centric priorities and human-oriented imperatives. This comparative analysis of two leading global economies provides insights into the evolution of smart city research, highlighting both shared challenges and distinct pathways. Our results reveal common ground, divergent national priorities and funding mechanisms that risk dividing the field further. Smart city research remains fragmented between technology-driven and human-centered approaches, despite growing interest. This analysis of research proposals from the USA and China reveals common ground, divergent priorities and funding mechanisms that risk dividing the field further.
{"title":"Comparative analysis of smart city scientific research trends in the USA and China","authors":"Yuan Lai, Haoxiang Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s44284-025-00305-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44284-025-00305-y","url":null,"abstract":"The integrated concept of ‘smart cities’ has emerged as a key focus of contemporary research, yet efforts remain fragmented, split between technology-driven and human-centered approaches. Here we leverage open data and large language models to analyze smart city research proposals funded by the National Science Foundation in the USA and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Our findings reveal common scientific inquiries alongside divergent research trajectories shaped by national contexts, exposing a persistent tension between techno-centric priorities and human-oriented imperatives. This comparative analysis of two leading global economies provides insights into the evolution of smart city research, highlighting both shared challenges and distinct pathways. Our results reveal common ground, divergent national priorities and funding mechanisms that risk dividing the field further. Smart city research remains fragmented between technology-driven and human-centered approaches, despite growing interest. This analysis of research proposals from the USA and China reveals common ground, divergent priorities and funding mechanisms that risk dividing the field further.","PeriodicalId":501700,"journal":{"name":"Nature Cities","volume":"2 9","pages":"875-883"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123463","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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