(theatrical music) - Hello, I'm Stephen Hegg in the "Crosscut" KCTS 9 Newsroom.

(light music) As the climate crisis becomes harder to combat, most of us want to live sustainably; reusing bags, buying organic, and even growing our own food, but these small choices can only go so far.

Now, local scientists say urban design is one big potential source of healing.

From the number of roadways and parking lots to what we plant in our lawns, all of this city planning influences how wildlife behave and how they physically evolve.

A new study shows that white clover evolves differently based on its distance from city centers and discovered that the same patterns of evolution are repeated around the world.

Areas where clovers evolved the most had more roads, higher summer temperature, and similar amounts of summer vegetation.

So, knowing how species evolve in response to urbanization could help leaders design more resilient cities.

(theatrical music) I'm Stephen Hegg.

Find nonprofit Northwest news everyday on crosscut.com.

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