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The decisions that national leaders, local officials, developers, and planners make today will determine how billions of urbanites 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 hinder economic growth, spur greenhouse gas emissions, and endanger lives. Compact, efficient cities can alleviate poverty, combat climate change, and make services like water, energy, and transport more accessible.

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 EMBARQ Network for sustainable urban transport and other programs, we develop and support implementation of research-based solutions that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces in cities.

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.

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