Using nature to make cities more liveable by reducing pollution and heat.
With smart planning, science-based strategies and strong partnerships, we can make the green cities of tomorrow resilient, healthy and equitable.


"Greenprint" for Sustainable Melbourne
The Living Melbourne plan creates a "greenprint" for how nature can make one of the world's most livable cities more sustainable for people and wildlife.
By Misty Edgecomb
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Training for New Green Jobs in Atlanta
The Nature Conservancy and HABESHA, Inc., a Pan-African organization that cultivates leadership in youth and families, created the Urban Green Jobs program.

2019
Improving Delhi’s Air Through Cleaner Farming
Each year, farmers in northwestern India burn some 23 million tons of rice residue in their fields, which, on some days in autumn, can generate almost half of Delhi’s record-breaking air pollution. The Nature Conservancy is working to convince farmers to stop burning and instead use an agricultural machine called the Happy Seeder to prepare their ground for the next crop. Over the past two years, farmers have put some 16,000 Happy Seeders into operation. -Matt Jenkins

2019
Soaking Up Water in America’s Largest Cities
In Philadelphia, TNC worked with community-based organizations, including affordable housing providers, to install green infrastructure that prevents water pollution. In Detroit’s iconic Greater Eastern Market district, TNC helped create a plan that incorporates stormwater management and public green space into the redevelopment of almost 200 acres of land. -Maggie Terry

2019
Shading Albuquerque’s Heat Island
Albuquerque’s tree cover of about 10% is low, even for a desert city. And with no relief from shade trees, the city becomes a heat island that’s about eight degrees hotter than nearby rural areas during the day. The Nature Conservancy’s urban conservation program and partners will plant 100,000 trees over the next 10 years. They’ll cool neighborhoods and bring other benefits, like cleaner air. -Jocelyn Ellis Abood

2019
Putting Communities First with Urban Conservation
The Nature Conservancy and Center for Whole Communities established a network of 170 members, representing 24 cities, dedicated to improving urban ecosystems and supporting equitable outcomes for people. The Cities Network partners with community- based organizations to design, fund and implement conservation projects that reduce heat, improve air and water quality, provide flood protection, and enhance the well-being of residents. -Kim Nye

2019
Cleaning Stormwater Through the Cloud…
The digital cloud, that is. TNC has created a joint venture with tech company Opti to retrofit stormwater ponds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed with devices that can remotely control the storage and release of water. These controls allow the ponds to better filter water so that cleaner water reaches the bay. Walmart is providing the ponds for the project’s pilot phase. A single retrofitted pond can capture more than 10,000 pounds of pollution each year. -Matthew Kane

2019
Using Vacant Lots to Teach Job Skills
Across the United States, TNC collaborates with communities to transform vacant lots into green spaces. In Wilmington, TNC supports Delaware Center for Horticulture’s green jobs program, which provides residents with on-the-job training in landscaping and horticulture. Similarly, in Rochester, New York, TNC helps Greentopia, which hires young people to cultivate pollinator flower gardens while gaining business experience by selling bouquets. -Melisa Holman

2019
Studying Nature as Preventative Care
Louisville, Kentucky, can breathe just a little bit easier as TNC and the University of Louisville’s Envirome Institute began planting 8,000 trees and shrubs across the city in fall of 2019. The program will test how the trees can filter pollution and protect residents from cardiac disease and other ailments. The Green Heart study will follow 735 local people for several years to provide medical evidence for the value of nature. -Misty Edgecomb

2019
Restoring Wetlands in Drought-Stricken Chennai
In Chennai, India, TNC is aiding in the restoration of urban wetlands to help buffer the impact of droughts and floods—while also improving wildlife habitat. At the Sembakkam Lake pilot project, TNC is removing silt and invasive plants, and building wetlands that will reduce the amount of organic pollution entering the lake by 50% to 70%. -Matt Jenkins
Our Accomplishments

Success
Protecting Land, Oceans & Water
From the grasslands of Mongolia to the Caribbean’s reefs, we help save the world’s most critical habitats.

Success
Providing Food and Water Sustainably
We can feed the planet’s growing population without destroying the nature that supports us.

Success
Tackling Climate Change
We’re focusing on innovative, science-based solutions that match the urgency of this crisis.
The time to innovate for nature has never been more critical.
This report demonstrates how The Nature Conservancy is answering this challenge not just within the realm of smartly planning cities, but across lands, rivers, oceans, agriculture and climate change.