WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

The decisions that national leaders, local officials, developers, and planners make today will determine how billions of urban cities will live over the next century. Already, half the global population resides in cities. That figure is set to increase to 70 percent by 2050.

Traditional models of city development can lock us into congestion, sprawl, and inefficient resource use. However, compact, connected, and efficient growth can help ensure more competitive cities, and provide a better quality of life for citizens.

WRI aims to ensure that cities drive economic opportunity while sustaining natural resources and improving quality of life. Through our WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, we use technical expertise, cutting-edge research, and on-the-ground partnerships to design solutions that enable sustainable city growth.

Our analysis and tools allow cities to effectively manage their natural resources and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while improving quality of life. Working across our network, we develop and support the implementation of research-based solutions in sustainable mobility, urban form, as well as urban efficiency & climate that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces for all people to thrive.

We collaborate with local and national decision-makers in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and Turkey to implement projects that overcome the challenges of urbanization and make for greater cities. And we partner with businesses, governments, and civil society to scale our successful pilot projects globally.