Reinventing 21st-century cities with science

Published on April 2nd, 2026

Cities were positioned as the primary arena for translating planetary health into action, where emissions, infrastructure, and daily life converge. The discussion emphasized that the core challenge is not a lack of solutions, but the difficulty of scaling them. Moving from pilots to systemic change requires stronger alignment between science, technology, and governance, alongside new financing mechanisms and more empowered local leadership. Data and AI were highlighted as important tools for decision-making, provided they remain inclusive and centered on human needs. Ultimately, visible improvements in quality of life were identified as essential to sustaining political and social support.

The full session can be viewed in the recording below.  

Key takeaways

• Cities are the most effective leverage point for climate and sustainability action

• The main barrier is implementation, not scientific knowledge

• Effective transformation requires alignment between science, technology, and governance

• Data and AI can support decision-making but must be inclusive and human-centered

• Visible co-benefits are critical for long-term political and social support

Policy recommendation

Empower cities to directly plan, finance, and execute net-zero infrastructure—backed by inclusive data and durable local mandates.

Please join the conversation and share your perspective.

Copyright: © 2026 [author(s)]. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in the Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.