Some of the most important scientific breakthroughs begin with a simple realization: One field of expertise is not enough. Such a recognition isn’t just a win for the environment, it’s a blueprint for the future of innovation.

On warm spring mornings, kayakers glide past downtown Chicago’s glass towers, their paddles cutting through water that reflects the skyline in shimmering blue. Along the riverwalk, joggers and families pause to watch herons stalk fish near the shoreline. It is a scene that today feels ordinary, almost serene.

In many cities, childhood unfolds amid concrete, traffic, and persistent dirt and noise, conditions that shape the emotional and physical well-being of young people growing up in dense, underprivileged urban environments.