Cities

More than 65% of the world's population are projected to live in urban areas by 2050, with major implications resource use, energy, water and sanitation, and health and well-being. At the same time urbanization can bring benefits, especially efficiency gains. SEI examines these challenges in the round to advance sustainable urbanization.

A wide street on a sunny day, with separate wide pavement for pedestrians, and traffic driving away from the camera.

Assessing the affordance, equity and wellbeing implications of mobility provision, governance and operation in East African cities

Journal article / Equitable mobility requires more than infrastructure provision: examining users' overall journey experience provides more constructive insights.

17 July 2025 / About Cities, Public policy and Transport

Tracking pollution for urban health: How integrating air quality and early warning systems can benefit cities in Africa

Feature / SEI in partnership with the UNEP regional office for Africa held a science policy dialogue on the sidelines of AMCEN-20.

16 July 2025 / About Cities and Pollution

SEI signs memorandum of understanding to support air quality monitoring in Togo

Feature / SEI Africa collaborates with Togo’s Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources in the Togo Air Quality Project (PQAT).

15 July 2025 / About Cities, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants

Avesta church in the foreground and river in the background

Sustainable Avesta

Project / The Sustainable Avesta project seeks to strengthen municipalities’ abilities to engage their communities to co-create actions to reduce climate impact.

2025 - 2027 / About Cities, Mitigation, Participation, Public policy and Sustainable lifestyles

Two people sitting on the deck of a boat, looking towards a hazy city skyline across calm water.

Tackling methane

Feature / Over the past 15 years SEI has successfully put methane on the agenda of many country governments.

25 June 2025 / About Cities, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants

Martina Otto, Head of Secretariat at the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), presents findings from the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa during the ACAP Roadmap meeting in Accra, Ghana. Participants are seated and engaged, with the assessment summary displayed on a screen.

Charting Africa’s path to clean air: reflections from the ACAP roadmap meeting in Accra

Feature / SEI researchers presented key insights and next steps for the African Clean Air Program (ACAP) Roadmap in Accra, Ghana.

12 June 2025 / About Cities, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants

An architectural model of Stockholm Royal Seaport

Bosnian municipalities learning from Swedish sustainability efforts

Feature / As part of the BiH SuTra project, a delegation of mayors and municipal staff visited sustainable Sweden.

9 June 2025 / About Cities, Innovation, Sustainable lifestyles and Water resources

Supporting clean air and climate resilience in Nairobi County

Feature / SEI will contribute to the development of the Nairobi City County Air Quality Action Plan (2025–2029).

3 June 2025 / About Cities, Pollution, Short lived climate pollutants and Transport

Nurture in nature for nurture of nature: SEI at the Conference for Advancing the Participatory Sciences 2025

Past event / Discover ways to achieve enduring impact from environmental citizen science projects in schools, based on Smriti Safaya's research in Hong Kong and the UK.

27 May 2025 / About Cities