Meteorology is not a passive backdrop to air pollution but an active and powerful determinant of urban air quality. The atmosphere’s capacity to concentrate, transform, and transport contaminants governs the exposure of urban populations to harmful pollutants. As this brief has outlined, the principles of atmospheric science offer a clear and actionable framework for managing these risks. Integrating sophisticated meteorological data, mesoscale analyses, and predictive city models into the core of urban planning and environmental regulation is a necessary evolution in governance. By doing so, policymakers can move from a reactive to a proactive stance, creating more cost-effective policies that better protect public health and ensure sustainable urban development in an increasingly industrialized world.