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Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience
Marina Alberti1, Nancy B Grimm2, Eric P Palkovacs3
1Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 14, 2026
Summary
Urban nature-based solutions (NBS) must account for evolution. Organismal evolution driven by urban stressors can impact NBS performance, necessitating adaptive design strategies for long-term resilience.
Area of Science:
- Urban ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Environmental science
Background:
- Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly used for urban resilience.
- Current NBS design often ignores the evolutionary dynamics of constituent organisms.
- Urban environments impose unique stressors that drive rapid evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize evidence of evolutionary change in urban NBS.
- To assess how evolution impacts NBS performance (enhancing or undermining).
- To propose hypotheses and design strategies integrating evolutionary principles into NBS.
Main Methods:
- Literature synthesis of evolutionary changes in urban NBS.
- Analysis of how evolutionary processes affect NBS functionality.
- Development of hypotheses linking evolutionary dynamics and NBS performance.
Main Results:
- Evolutionary changes in species' traits, interactions, and ecosystem functions are evident in urban NBS.
- These evolutionary shifts can significantly alter the performance and effectiveness of NBS.
- Evidence suggests evolutionary processes can both benefit and compromise NBS outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Integrating evolutionary considerations into NBS design is crucial for long-term urban resilience.
- Adaptive strategies are needed to maintain the functional potential of NBS under environmental change.
- Future NBS design must proactively incorporate evolutionary trajectories to ensure sustained performance.
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