Marina Alberti Archives - Research Portal

Cities for a Shared Planet

Alberti, M. (2026). Cities for a Shared Planet. The MIT Press.

Abstract

A powerful new vision of cities as engines of planetary evolution and multispecies cooperation.

Evolution, once associated with remote places and deep time, is unfolding in real time, much closer to home. Cities have become a new ecological stage on which evolution is taking place. Humans are now active participants shaping the trajectory of life on Earth. How can we use this knowledge to build more resilient and just futures for humans and other species?

In Cities for a Shared Planet, Marina Alberti envisions evolving urban ecosystems in which humans and other species shape their shared futures through new forms of cooperation. She argues that the convergence of rapid urbanization and accelerating environmental change may mark the onset of a major evolutionary transition—one that redefines the role of cities in planetary evolution. At the heart of this transformation is the emergence of bio-cooperative cities: adaptive, multispecies systems designed to sustain the evolutionary potential of urban life.

Drawing on urban ecology, evolutionary biology, design theory, and environmental justice, Alberti develops the foundations of bio-cooperation, advancing ecological interdependence and eco-evolutionary dynamics as core principles of urban design. Through imaginative scenarios and real-world case studies—from Singapore, Seattle, New York City, Ho Chi Minh City, and Cape Town—the book shows how multispecies interactions are transforming infrastructure, reshaping urban space, and redefining how urban environments are inhabited and evolve.

Engaging and eye-opening, Cities for a Shared Planet reimagines cities as active participants in a shared planetary future.

Research Priorities for Robust Climate Assessments in the United States

Kenney, M. A., Kopp, R. E., Samaras, C., et al. (2026). Research priorities for robust climate assessments in the United States. Earth’s Future, 14, e2025EF007336. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025EF007336 Kenney, M. A., Kopp, R. E., Samaras, C., et al. (2026). Research priorities for robust climate assessments in the United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-26-0305.1

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Abstract

Scientific assessments play a critical role in synthesizing evidence to support evidence-based decision-making in many sectors and topics. For climate change, large-scale assessments like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United States (U.S.) National Climate Assessment (NCA) reports help many different users—from national government to local governments, Indigenous Peoples and communities, the private sector, the social sector, and the scientific community itself—navigate the complex field of climate risks, impacts, and integrated solutions. While co-creation with users is essential to developing actionable assessments, this paper lays the groundwork for future processes by identifying many advancing and emerging areas of relevant knowledge ready for assessment or additional near-term research. Drawing on the expertise of many scholars who were formerly tasked with producing the Sixth NCA and authors of other national or sub-national climate assessment reports, this paper highlights select U.S.-relevant topics in which research advances since the 2023 Fifth NCA make new syntheses particularly valuable for future national, sub-national, and sectoral climate assessments. It also identifies critical research topics in those select areas that would be useful for future climate assessment efforts. Overall, this research priorities roadmap aims to catalyze collaborations, research, and a network of climate assessments to synthesize the state of climate impacts, risks, and responses and to provide widely accessible and foundational information for sectoral, regional, and cross-cutting climate action plans and decisions in the U.S.

Accessibility-equality dynamics in urban blue and green spaces reshape human well-being

B. Xue, J. Zhang, B. Liu, M. Alberti, Y. Fan, D. Zhao, & N.B. Grimm, Accessibility–equality dynamics in urban blue and green spaces reshape human well-being, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 123 (22) e2535714123, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2535714123 (2026).

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Abstract

As urbanization accelerates, urban blue and green spaces are increasingly recognized as critical nature-based solutions for enhancing human well-being, delivering climate, environmental, and psychological benefits. Yet, the mechanisms by which access to these natural spaces and the equality of access by urbanites in diverse residential locations shape well-being remain poorly understood in the context of sustainable urban governance. Here, we systematically evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban blue and green space accessibility and equality across 279 Chinese cities from 2000–2100 and assessed their combined effects on well-being. We found that accessibility has a significant positive influence on well-being but follows an inverted-U-shaped pattern with distinct optimal thresholds. By contrast, equality shows a consistent, positive linear relationship with well-being. Although future accessibility is projected to improve, persistently high disparities among different segments of urban populations highlight the urgent need for equity-centered governance of blue and green spaces in cities. This perspective extends current approaches to environmental justice while revealing a structural mismatch between resource abundance and equitable distribution. To address this mismatch, we propose a prioritization framework that emphasizes context-specific, spatially targeted interventions, guided by four key drivers: the natural space to built-up area ratio, urban population size, the proportion of natural spaces with high accessibility, and urban landscape connectivity. By operationalizing these insights in an online toolkit for local governments, this work advances the fields of sustainable urban governance and equitable environmental planning.

Marina Alberti featured in UW News: How evolution influences nature-based infrastructure

Professor of Urban Design and Planning Marina Alberti has recently published a paper in Science, and been featured in a UW News story highlighting her work along with a large team of collaborative researchers. UDP PhD Student Anna Malesis-Dahm is another member of this research team who supported the the writing and conceptualization of the article published in Science. UW News featured Professor Alberti’s work in a Q&A piece, available here. The paper, “Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience” can…

Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience

Marina Alberti et al., Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience. Science 392, 701-708 (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.aea9563.

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Abstract

Despite growing investments in nature-based solutions for urban resilience, their design often overlooks a fundamental biological process: evolution. Populations of organisms that sustain nature-based solutions are dynamic and can evolve over time. Rapid evolutionary changes, driven by urban environmental stressors, such as pollution, climate extremes, and habitat fragmentation, can reshape species’ traits, alter interactions, and shift ecosystem functions. We synthesize evidence of evolutionary change across systems that serve as nature-based solutions in urban contexts and show how evolutionary processes can enhance or undermine their performance. We propose four testable hypotheses linking evolutionary dynamics to nature-based solutions and outline design strategies to maintain adaptive potential. Integrating evolution into nature-based solutions is essential to ensure long-term and efficient functionality under accelerating environmental change.

The effects of urbanization on species interactions

Moreno-García, P., Savage, A., Salgado, A. L., Tartaglia, E. S., Cocciardi, J. M., Aronson, M. F. J., Jarzyna, M. A., Alberti, M., & Li, D. (2025). The effects of urbanization on species interactions. Nature Cities, 2(8), 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00288-w.

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Abstract

Cities are renowned for catalyzing human interactions, but their distinctive environments also affect the interactions of other species. We discuss how urbanization affects species interactions and identify key knowledge gaps. With this context and using an eco-evolutionary lens, we frame urban environments as providing three consecutive filters: the presence of species, their co-occurrence and their relationships. Our framework offers a structured model for studying and managing urban species and environments to facilitate conservation and ecosystem services, benefiting urbanites of all stripes.

Legacy effects of religion, politics and war on urban evolutionary biology

Carlen, E. J., Caizergues, A. E., Jagiello, Z., Kuzyo, H., Munshi-South, J., Alberti, M., Angeoletto, F., Bonilla-Bedoya, S., Booth, W., Charmantier, A., Cocciardi, J. M., Cook, E. M., Gotanda, K. M., Govaert, L., Johnson, L. E., Li, D., Malesis, A. N., Martin, E., Marzluff, J. M., … Szulkin, M. (2025). Legacy effects of religion, politics and war on urban evolutionary biology. Nature Cities, 2(7), 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00249-3.

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Abstract

Urbanization has been a defining feature of the past four centuries, with most of the global population now living in highly modified environments shared with wildlife. Traditionally, biological urban evolutionary research has focused on physical factors such as habitat fragmentation, pollution and resource availability, often overlooking the social and political forces shaping urban environments. This Review explores how religion, politics and war drive urban wildlife evolution by shaping environmental conditions and selective pressures. We synthesize existing knowledge on these influences and propose testable hypotheses to advance the field. Understanding these dynamics is essential for explaining the variability in urban evolutionary processes and predicting the future development of urban systems. By integrating social and political dimensions, we can gain deeper insights into how cities shape the evolution of organisms that inhabit them.

Urban landscape heterogeneity disaggregates the legacy of redlining on land surface temperature

Meen Chel Jung, Karen Dyson, Marina Alberti, Urban landscape heterogeneity disaggregates the legacy of redlining on land surface temperature, Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 261, 2025, 105406, ISSN 0169-2046, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105406.

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Abstract

The lingering effects of redlining are linked to contemporary heat inequities observed across US cities. Residential security maps created by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) have been widely used to analyze neighborhood-level disparities in land surface temperatures. However, the use of aggregated spatial units often fails to capture internal landscape heterogeneity and the heat vulnerabilities associated with redlining. In this study, we introduced urban landscape heterogeneity by incorporating granular development levels captured at different resolutions within HOLC-graded neighborhoods. This approach combined Landsat-based National Land Cover Database (NLCD) data, Sentinel-based WorldCover land cover data, and HOLC map layers. We examined the role of urban landscape heterogeneity in revealing additional patterns of heat inequities beyond those explained by redlining-based macro spatial units, using grouped boxplots and mixed-effects models across three major cities in the Northeastern US: Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By accounting for urban landscape heterogeneity, our findings revealed that: (1) the well-documented trend of higher land surface temperatures in lower HOLC grades becomes systematically fragmented, (2) statistical models show improved performance in estimating land surface temperature, and (3) the cooling effect of tree canopy exhibits a varying, non-linear threshold pattern. These results highlight the need to consider micro-scale landscape dimensions to better understand the persistent, unequal distribution of temperatures associated with redlining. Municipal and community-led tree planting initiatives should consider comprehensive landscape characteristics to develop spatially targeted heat mitigation strategies and promote equitable climate outcomes.

Keywords

Redlining; Land cover; Spatial resolution; Land surface temperature; Tree canopy cooling; Heat inequity

Optimizing Urban Greenspace Landscapes to Mitigate Population Exposure to Extreme Heat in 21st Century Chinese Cities

Feng, R., Li, G., Alberti, M., Wang, F., Liu, S., & Yu, G. (2025). Optimizing Urban Greenspace Landscapes to Mitigate Population Exposure to Extreme Heat in 21st Century Chinese Cities. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(11), 5510–5520. doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c11345

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Abstract

Urban greenspace (UGS) is a crucial nature-based solution for mitigating increasing human exposure to extreme heat, but its long-term potential has been poorly quantified. We used high spatial-temporal resolution data sets of urban land cover and population grid in combination with an urban climate model, machine learning, and land use simulation model to assess the impact of UGS on population exposure to extreme (high-heat exposure, HHE) and its potential spatial optimization strategies. Results showed that the UGS and HHE have a strong spatiotemporal dynamic coupling in 21st century Chinese cities. Moreover, UGS shrinkage increased the HHE by 0.58–1.15 °C, while UGS expansion mitigated it by 0.72–1.26 °C, both stronger in the SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5 scenarios. Different from common impressions, spatial relationships, rather than quantities of UGS, are more influential (1.3–1.8 times) on HHE. Our solutions suggest that simply enhancing the spatial dynamic connectivity between patches can mitigate HHE by 9.1–21.1%, especially for the eastern and central cities. Our results provide an example of how to improve climate adaptation in urban ecological space designs and strongly promote research on optimal spatial patterns for future robust urban heat mitigation.

Keywords

Urban greenspace; extreme heat exposure; mitigation effects; optimization solution; future projection

Urban landscape affects scaling of transportation carbon emissions across geographic scales

Jung, M. C., Wang, T., Kang, M., Dyson, K., Dawwas, E. B., & Alberti, M. (2024). Urban landscape affects scaling of transportation carbon emissions across geographic scales. Sustainable Cities and Society, 113, 105656-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105656

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Abstract

Understanding the carbon dynamics of the transportation sector is necessary to mitigate global climate change. While urban scaling laws have been used to understand the impact of urban population size on carbon efficiency, the instability of these scaling relationships raises additional questions. Here, we examined the scaling of on-road transportation carbon emissions across 378 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) using diverse urban landscape patterns and spatial units, from the MSA level down to 1 km grid cells. Beginning with a baseline scaling model that uses only population size, we expanded the model to include landscape metrics at each spatial scale based on correlation results. We found that: (1) urban landscape characteristics provide insights into carbon mechanisms not fully captured by population size alone, (2) the impact of population size on on-road carbon emissions transitions from linear to sub-linear scaling relationships as the geographic scale of analysis decreases, and (3) clustered urban developments can form carbon-efficient landscapes, while fragmented urban areas tend to be carbon-inefficient. Based on empirical evidence, this research advocates for hierarchical spatial planning and supports the implementation of policy measures aligned with smart growth principles to mitigate carbon pollution.