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…
Person: Marina Alberti
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology
Savage, A. M., Willmott, M. J., Moreno‐García, P., Jagiello, Z., Li, D., Malesis, A., Miles, L. S., Román‐Palacios, C., Salazar‐Valenzuela, D., Verrelli, B. C., Winchell, K. M., Alberti, M., Bonilla‐Bedoya, S., Carlen, E., Falvey, C., Johnson, L., Martin, E., Kuzyo, H., Marzluff, J., … Gotanda, K. M. (2024). Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology. Ecology and Evolution, 14(6), e11633-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11633
Abstract
Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields and countries is challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods and best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, and career backgrounds would make research focused on urban evolutionary ecology more inclusive. Here, we describe a freely available online research hub for toolkits that facilitate global research in urban evolutionary ecology. We provide rationales and descriptions of toolkits for: (1) decolonizing urban evolutionary ecology; (2) identifying and fostering international collaborative partnerships; (3) common methods and freely-available datasets for trait mapping across cities; (4) common methods and freely-available datasets for cross-city evolutionary ecology experiments; and (5) best practices and freely available resources for public outreach and communication of research findings in urban evolutionary ecology. We outline how the toolkits can be accessed, archived, and modified over time in order to sustain long-term global research that will advance our understanding of urban evolutionary ecology.
Interactions between climate change and urbanization will shape the future of biodiversity
Urban, M.C., Alberti, M., De Meester, L. et al. Interactions between climate change and urbanization will shape the future of biodiversity. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01996-2
Abstract
Climate change and urbanization are two of the most prominent global drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem change. Fully understanding, predicting and mitigating the biological impacts of climate change and urbanization are not possible in isolation, especially given their growing importance in shaping human society. Here we develop an integrated framework for understanding and predicting the joint effects of climate change and urbanization on ecology, evolution and their eco-evolutionary interactions. We review five examples of interactions and then present five hypotheses that offer opportunities for predicting biodiversity and its interaction with human social and cultural systems under future scenarios. We also discuss research opportunities and ways to design resilient landscapes that address both biological and societal concerns.
Editorial: Shaping the future: urban resilience and socio-ecological systems through time
Attila Gyucha, Abigail Derby Lewis, Rodrigo Solinis Casparius, Natalia C. Piland, & Marina Alberti. (2024). Editorial: Shaping the future: urban resilience and socio-ecological systems through time. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1392723