Cities around the world face a puzzling contradiction. Despite massive investments in green infrastructure and ambitious climate policies, urban areas continue generating 70% of global carbon emissions, while struggling to engage residents in sustainable behaviours. The problem isn't technology or funding. It's the persistent gap between policy intention and community action.

Infrastructure alone doesn't guarantee sustainable outcomes. Cities worldwide have learnt this lesson repeatedly: Beautiful bike lanes that remain empty, energy-efficient buildings with high consumption rates, recycling programmes with low participation. The missing element isn't better technology. It's systematic attention to how people actually make decisions in their daily lives.

What makes SUB a game-changer

Sustainable Urban Behaviour (SUB) represents a fundamental shift: viewing behaviour change not as individual responsibility, but as a systemic challenge. Emerging from interdisciplinary research (behavioural economics, environmental psychology, systems thinking), SUB establishes a core principle of behaviour: sustainable choices should organically arise from well-designed urban environments, not rely on willpower or moral pressure.

SUB leverages natural human decision-making. Its premise is powerful: when cities design environments where sustainable options are the easiest, most convenient, and socially rewarded choices, people naturally adopt them without sacrifice. Acknowledging humans as "cognitive misers" seeking least resistance, SUB makes sustainability the default option in urban systems. People then live sustainably simply by using spaces designed for better choices, feeling no added effort.

Evidence from leading cities

Amsterdam's integrated approach: The Dutch capital's achievement of high cycling participation among residents demonstrates the power of systematic, long-term behavioural approaches. The city didn't just build bike lanes. It invested decades in coordinated infrastructure development, policy integration and cultural change efforts that addressed multiple barriers to cycling adoption simultaneously. The comprehensive approach included traffic calming measures, parking policies that discourage car use, and cultural campaigns that promote cycling across demographic groups.

Singapore's community engagement: The city-state's transformation into a "City in a Garden" involved more than top-down planning. It implemented comprehensive community engagement programmes, including urban gardening initiatives and environmental education, that transformed residents from passive beneficiaries into active stewards of urban nature. This behavioural dimension proved crucial for maintaining and expanding green infrastructure investments, while building social cohesion around environmental goals.

Medellín's community innovation: Colombia second city's transformation from one of the world's most violent to a model of urban innovation demonstrates the potential of community-centred approaches. The city's comprehensive urban development programmes achieved a more than 90% reduction in city-wide violence while transforming degraded areas into productive spaces. The success depended on recognizing and building upon existing community assets rather than imposing external solutions, with programme design emerging from extensive community consultation processes.

Urban sustainability is no longer just about infrastructure, it’s about behaviour. As cities compete to attract talent, investment and international recognition, those embracing community-centred, behaviour-led strategies will be better positioned to deliver the liveability, resilience and prosperity that define 21st-century urban success.

Source: World Ecnomic Forum Sustainable Urban Behaviour: the missing piece for nature-positive transformation in cities

Original link:

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/sustainable-urban-behaviour-cities-urban/