Science
20 May 2016 Vol 352, Issue 6288
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

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Introduction to special issue
Cities are the Future
By Nicholas S. Wigginton, Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink, Brad Wible, David Malakoff
Science20 May 2016 : 904-905
Rapid urbanization is overtaxing the planet, but it may not have to

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Editorial
Leave no city behind
By Michele Acuto, Susan Parnell
Science20 May 2016 : 873
Summary
Close to 4 billion people live in cities. As the driver of environmental challenges, accounting for nearly 70% of the world’s carbon emissions, and as sites of critical social disparities, with 863 million dwellers now living in slums, urban settlements are at the heart of global change. This momentum is unlikely to disappear, as approximately 70 million more people will move to cities by the end of this year alone. The good news is that recent multilateral processes are now appreciating this key role of cities and are increasingly prioritizing urban concerns in policy-making. Yet, how can we ensure that these steps toward a global urban governance leave no city, town, or urban dweller behind?