Cities worldwide are sinking

A study of 465 cities in 107 countries, published Monday in Nature Cities, used satellite radar from 2014 to 2023 to measure land subsidence, the slow sinking of ground beneath buildings, roads and drainage systems.

Mexico City showed the most dramatic localized sinking, with some areas dropping about 8.5 inches a year, though the citywide average was closer to a third of an inch annually. Indonesian cities Medan and Bandung posted the highest citywide median rates, with Isfahan, Iran, and Torreón, Mexico, also showing significant movement.

Cities including Boston, New York, London, Tokyo and Beijing showed barely measurable change, though researchers noted those figures approach the limits of what satellites can reliably detect. The researchers attributed some slowdowns in Asian cities to groundwater regulation and aquifer replenishment efforts.

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