By 2100, 85% of the human population will live in cities, making urban solutions the most critical frontier for global development and opportunity. I had the privilege of co-producing and hosting the Green Cities Podcast series for USAID, which introduces the new USAID Green Cities Division and explores how urban transformation is integral to the sustainable development agenda.
In this premier episode, you will meet three leading voices in urban resilience and ecology:
- Ann Guerry, Chief Strategy Officer at the Natural Capital Project, who discusses the vital connection between taking care of nature through people and taking care of people through nature.
- Rogier van den Berg, Acting Global Director for the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, who shares how strategic urban planning can leverage economies of scale to drive climate solutions.
- Johanna Lovecchio, Associate Director at the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes, who reflects on her lived experience in New York City to explain how cities can represent both human ingenuity and extreme fragility in the face of climate change.
Why you should listen: Historically, cities have been viewed as environmental “villains”—sources of smog, sprawl, and inequality. This episode flips the script, arguing that cities are actually the “hero” in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. You will learn why you cannot resolve the climate crisis without resolving cities, which currently account for two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions.
With 60% of the urban areas expected by 2050 yet to be built, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design the sustainable, inclusive cities of the future. Whether you are interested in economic growth, gender equality, or urban resilience, this episode will get you hooked on urbanization as the primary driver for international development.
Click play to discover how we can stop fighting against nature and start building with it.
