— Written by Lyle Jarvis

A Quiet Revolution Taking Root 🪴

Over half the world’s population lives in urban areas, and counting. In fact, urban dwellers are expected to reach 70% by 2050. Cities may be hotspots of emissions and development, but they’re also increasingly seen as frontlines for conservation. Urban biodiversity efforts are emerging as critical tools to:

• Mitigate climate change impacts (via shade, flood absorption, and cooling) 🌎️ 

• Restore ecological balance (by creating habitat corridors and reintroducing native species) 🌿 

• Improve public health and well-being (for animals and for us!) ❤️‍🩹 

• Build a culture of environmental stewardship, especially for kids 🤝 

Urban biodiversity programs are redefining what city planning looks like in a time of climate crisis and ecological decline. These initiatives go beyond green aesthetics: they’re about climate resilience, food webs, public health, and equity.

Spotlight: NYC Biodiversity Task Force 🗽

Among those cities working to boost their biodiversity, New York City is (perhaps surprisingly) among the leaders of the pack.

Launched in 2024, the NYC Task Force is led by urban ecologists Marielle Anzelone and Georgia Silvera Seamans, and backed by nonprofits, civic institutions, and field biologists, working to push for New York’s first comprehensive biodiversity plan. The key objectives of the plan are things like increased access to nature, protecting/ restoring habitats, and elevating ecology to the same urgency level as climate concerns.

Check out the task force’s new biodiversity report here!

New York City is far from gray, it’s a biodiversity goldmine. It hosts rare corpse flowers, 350-year-old tulip trees, and more than 1250 species of plants. That’s 40% of New York State’s endangered plant species, all tucked into the five boroughs.

And for our New York Climate Community, consider joining a tour with the Urban Park Ranger programs, to explore the city's hidden gems and upclose glimpses into the biodiversity of your parklands!

Global Spotlights: What Leading Cities Are Doing 🌇

Los Angeles
Surveyors have found a treasure trove of biodiversity pockets peppering Los Angeles. Some of the city’s aims are to restore native flora and fauna, expand tree canopy, and rewild portions of the LA River.

The city also supports efforts to map ecological hot and cold spots and makes the data public, like this Biodiversity Atlas!

Singapore
Singapore is leading the charge in establishing a greener urban infrastructure. Nicknamed a “City in a Garden,” Singapore has embedded biodiversity into its urban design with green roofs, vertical gardens, and over 380 km of ecological corridors connecting parks and forests.

London
Before the 2012 Olympics Games, east London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was a pretty dirty place (contaminated soil, polluted waterways and extensive fly-tipped waste). Fast forward to today, and the park boasts a thriving new ecosystem of flora and fauna.

In tandem with reaping the benefits of past biodiversity efforts, the city is in the middle of its Biodiversity Action Plan (2021-2026). So far, they’re seeing new species of bees, wasps, butterflies and more!

Explore a few more cities, and new pockets of the ones we’ve listed here in this article.

What We Can Do to Help 🫂 

• Plant native species: Even a balcony can support pollinators!

• Use apps like iNaturalist or PlantNet to document local species and join global BioBlitzes

• Push for biodiversity in local policy: Ask your city to include ecological goals in climate, development, and zoning plans!

👀 Some Stories You Might Have Missed This Week 🗞️📺:

1. In an historic first, solar power generated more electricity than any other source in the EU last month. (Euronews)
   

2. A UAE-coordinated effort led officials to arrest 94 people and seize more than $64 million in assets in a crackdown on environmental crimes (ABC News)
   

3. Climate VCs remain cautiously optimistic after Trump’s Big Ugly Bill (Axios)