This paper explores the urban carbon cycle from the natural sciences perspective,
identifying key knowledge gaps and priority areas for future research. The combination of
large, concentrated carbon fluxes and rapid change makes cities key elements of the carbon
cycle and offers the potential for them to serve as “first responders” for climate action.
Estimates of urban‐scale carbon fluxes are significantly more uncertain than at larger spatial
scales, in part because past studies have mostly avoided local/urban scales where the mix …