Around the globe, people are moving into cities at an astonishing rate. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on Earth, and a staggering 75 percent of them will live in cities. And cities are in a precarious position: rapid growth has the potential to make them profoundly unlivable places, at the mercy of floods, storms and polluted air.

The Nature Conservancy knows that demonstrating the power — and value — of nature can help cities manage the challenges they face. Our goal is to fundamentally change the relationship between cities and nature, so that both can thrive. By bringing the power of nature into cities, we can simultaneously support biodiversity conservation and connect people with the natural world. More information on our Cities program.

Please view our Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities site for more information on our work to protect trees in urban environments,

We will do this through three major strategies:

•    Build on our decades of conservation expertise to protect cities by making them more RESILIENT

o    Protect watersheds to ensure cites have the water they need
o    Maintain biodiversity by conserving habitat in and around cities
o    Reduce flood risks in coastal cities with reefs and wetlands
o    Address stormwater, air quality and urban heat challenges with green infrastructure

•    Apply world-class science to transform policies and practices to make cities more LIVABLE

o    Improve urban planning to value nature
o    Help developers use “natural capital” in their daily work
o    Engage urban networks to share solutions

•    Work with everyone from local communities to leading global thinkers to inspire a new FLOURISHING in cities

o    Strengthen people’s connection to nature, with a focus on youth
o    Broaden the constituency for conservation through opportunities to interact with nature
o    Conduct research to show how nature can improve health, happiness and productivity