By 2050, urban areas will account for nearly two out of three people and create three-quarters of the world’s emissions. In the face of unprecedented population growth and climate change, we need to better understand and manage the interconnection between cities and their surrounding ecology.

We cannot ignore that our cities are inextricably linked and a part of nature, not separate from it. Understanding the interconnection between human activity, resource use, protecting biodiversity and the interdependence between cities themselves is essential to solve the critical sustainability issues facing the Pacific Rim societies. The APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Program hosted by the University of Oregon aims to unite policy-makers, researchers, and practitioners from across disciplines to find answers to the big social, urban, and ecological questions of our time.

In one of the world’s most rapidly urbanizing regions, interconnection is key to solving critical sustainability issues facing the Pacific Rim, including supplying adequate food, water, and energy, while preserving vulnerable populations and ecosystems. APRU seeks to make these interconnections and draw on the strengths of differences across the region, using different viewpoints to solve urban and sustainability challenges that transcend city and country boundaries in the Pacific Rim.