How can cities learn from one another to accelerate climate action? This research project develops a data-driven global typology of approximately 11,000 cities, identifying shared characteristics, climate challenges, and opportunities for sustainable urban development. By combining urban, socioeconomic, and environmental indicators with statistical clustering methods, the project identifies four major city types to support knowledge transfer and context-specific climate solutions.
The interactive Cities Explorer makes these findings accessible to researchers, policymakers, and urban planners. Users can explore cities worldwide, compare their characteristics, and identify similar cities facing comparable challenges, helping to translate scientific evidence into more effective local climate action.
The project is supported by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.
