ABSTRACT
The cities today experience a great deal, but not all, of the environmental problems people see today, as they are the location of most of the population. This chapter discusses air and water pollution, climate change, and their impact on cities, and highlights what cities are doing today to fight these environmental issues—and to make the cities more sustainable. What is clear, however, is that cities can be the source of much of the world's solutions for climate change and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions. To sustain the cities, people must reduce pollution and provide healthy, clean neighborhoods for all residents. Making cities sustainable should be considered a core function of city management today and should be covered under NASPAA Urban Administration standards. Cities close to wet-lands or the coast must have physical infrastructure set up to handle flooding, and all cities should be prepared for extreme weather events.
