Introduction.

Today, the environmental problem requires our society to take immediate action. Thus, the Sustainable Development Goals were pronounced in 2015 to guide human development in the world, where sustainability is privileged.

Objective.

The purpose of this article is to show the semantic representation of the challenges that arise to meet the goal of 11 sustainable cities and communities through the perspective of college students.

Method.

The inquiry was exploratory; this was done using the methodology of natural semantic networks and including 59 young college students from the life sciences area of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León.

Results.

The population was 66.1% women and 33.9% men, and the ages were between 18 and 28 years old. The main challenges expressed by the participants were air pollution, litter, water pollution, deforestation, car trafficking, lack of green areas, and overpopulation. There was also a 75% similarity between the expressions commented by women and men.

Discussion.

Verbal expressions referred to by university students determine the presence of a semantic memory that recreates the conjunction of their experiences, ideas, and perceptions in relation to their environment.

Conclusions.

It is concluded that the construct edified by the students is consistent with the goals of goal 11 subscribed to the 2030 Agenda.