Today, cities are facing enormous challenges, e.g. climate change and transformation to a future beyond fossil fuels. Urban ecosystems generate ecosystem services, many of which are crucial for the well-being of urban citizens. The urban landscapes are truly interconnected social, cultural, and ecological systems and the place to begin developing new forms of governance based on integrated and cross-sectoral responses to global challenges. A number of global and international initiatives are starting to merge linking municipalities around nature conservation goals. Among them, this chapter describes the UNESCO URBIS Initiative, which promotes science and knowledge for sustainability and resilience, education for empowerment, and change and land use planning for mediation and conflict resolution in the urban landscape. What is proposed is to elaborate a set of methodologies, discourses, and planning tools ranging from global to local scales, recognizing that: firstly, cultural and biological diversity is key to resilience of social, economic, and ecological systems; secondly, knowledge either scientific or local is key to management; thirdly, education is the main conduit for mainstreaming and empowering communities; and finally, equitable access to land and resources is key to successful adaptive management.