Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience
Summary
Despite growing investments in nature-based solutions for urban resilience, their design often overlooks a fundamental biological process: evolution. Populations of organisms that sustain nature-based solutions are dynamic and can evolve over time. Rapid evolutionary changes, driven by urban environmental stressors, such as pollution, climate extremes, and habitat fragmentation, can reshape species' traits, alter interactions, and shift ecosystem functions. We synthesize evidence of evolut
Content
# Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience
*Published: 2026 May 14*
Despite growing investments in nature-based solutions for urban resilience,
their design often overlooks a fundamental biological process: evolution.
Populations of organisms that sustain nature-based solutions are dynamic and can
evolve over time. Rapid evolutionary changes, driven by urban environmental
stressors, such as pollution, climate extremes, and habitat fragmentation, can
reshape species' traits, alter interactions, and shift ecosystem functions. We
synthesize evidence of evolutionary change across systems that serve as
nature-based solutions in urban contexts and show how evolutionary processes can
enhance or undermine their performance. We propose four testable hypotheses
linking evolutionary dynamics to nature-based solutions and outline design
strategies to maintain adaptive potential. Integrating evolution into
nature-based solutions is essential to ensure long-term and efficient
functionality under accelerating environmental change.
DOI: 10.1126/science.aea9563