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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

Cities as transformative agents for global sustainability.

¹Xuemei Bai is Distinguished Professor of Urban Environment and Human Ecology at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|July 10, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Societal responses to global challenges are insufficient. Cities must be reconceptualized as transformative agents for achieving sustainability and a climate-safe future.

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Area of Science:

Urban studies
Sustainability science
Global change research

Background:

Societal responses to global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss are currently inadequate, characterized by incremental and fragmented actions.
There is a critical need for fundamental shifts in how societies address sustainability.
Cities are increasingly acknowledged as pivotal players in achieving climate safety and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Discussion:

Cities that have undergone successful transformations can act as catalysts for wider societal change.
The potential of cities as agents of transformation needs to be fully recognized and amplified.
Reconceptualizing urban environments as centers for transformative action is essential for global sustainability.

Key Insights:

Incremental societal responses are insufficient for addressing global sustainability challenges.
Cities possess significant potential to drive broader societal transformations towards sustainability.
A paradigm shift is needed to view cities as proactive agents of global change.

Outlook:

Maximizing urban agency is crucial for accelerating progress on global sustainability targets.
Further research should explore mechanisms to enhance the transformative capacity of cities.
The reconceptualization of cities as transformative agents offers a promising pathway for a sustainable future.