Climate Action

Climate Resilient Urban Form

Current land use and planning policies, and the institutions responsible for developing and implementing them, fail to adequately consider climate impacts and the need for rapid and deep decarbonization. The resulting patterns of urbanization not only contribute to growing carbon emissions but often place people in harm’s way and degrade valuable natural habitat. At the same time, urban areas and local jurisdictions are responsible for implementing many climate solutions, and some cities have already emerged as leaders. By documenting best practices, disseminating policy recommendations, and building local capacity, we aim to elevate the role of urban planning and policy to foster decarbonized, climate-resilient places.

Not all cities are at the same stage of urbanization, and different land policy levers and strategies are needed for different typologies of cities. In emerging and rapidly urbanizing places, often smaller and intermediary cities—including in Africa, where 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have yet to be built—our strategy is to “build right the first time,” avoid expanding poorly planned and underserved informal settlements, and seize the opportunity to create more equitable, climate-resilient communities. Compact, context-sensitive urban form also helps protect valuable natural or agricultural peri-urban areas and critical ecosystems—a complement to the institute’s land conservation efforts.

In more established cities or neighborhoods with existing spatial structure and infrastructure systems, the strategies may be different. Opportunities must be created to upgrade infrastructure and repurpose underutilized and vacant assets in ways that reverse fossil-fuel dependency and patterns of spatial inequity. Investments and mechanisms including green building retrofits, infill development, renewable energy deployment, bus rapid transit (BRT), and parking policy can not only reduce GHGs, but also improve air quality and reduce road fatalities.