Abstract Urban futures that are more resilient and sustainable
require an integrated social–ecological system
approach to urban policymaking, planning, management,
and governance. In this article, we introduce the Urban
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) and the
Cities and Biodiversity Outlook (CBO) Projects as new
social–ecological contributions to research and practice on
emerging urban resilience and ecosystem services. We
provide an overview of the projects and present global
urbanization trends and their effects on ecosystems and
biodiversity, as a context for new knowledge generated in
the URBES case-study cities, including Berlin, New York,
Rotterdam, Barcelona, and Stockholm. The cities represent
contrasting urbanization trends and examples of emerging
science–policy linkages for improving urban landscapes for
human health and well-being. In addition, we highlight 10
key messages of the global CBO assessment as a knowledge
platform for urban leaders to incorporate state-of-the-art
science on URBES into decision-making for sustainable and
resilient urban development