Land use hub > Urban areas (including cities, towns, suburbs & exurbs) >

Contents below:

     · Information

       · Institutions

         · Networks

           · Select readings on urban climate change

Also see:

     · Nations, A>Z for city-specific information

Information

Climate Protection Center @ US Conference of Mayors

Climate-Smart Cities @ Trust for Public Land

Climate zones: How will your city feel in the future? @ The Pudding

CURB Tool: Climate Action for Urban Sustainability @ World Bank

Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change

Institutions

Climate Resilient Cities @ IISD

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC)

Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast @ Columbia University

Arizona State University

     Urban Climate Research Center

     Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN)

Networks

C40 network

     • Wikipedia entry

Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA)

Climate Mayors: Mayors National Climate Action Agenda [US]

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy

     Covenant of Mayors - Europe

SAFE (Stand Against Fossil Fuel Expansion) Cities

     · “...a movement of neighbors, local groups, and elected officials working to keep their communities

       SAFE from fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry’s harmful practices and reckless plans for expansion

       threaten the well-being of communities and people around the world.”

Urban Climate Change Research Network

World Mayors Council on Climate Change

Select readings (reverse chronological order)

7 innovative projects making cities more sustainable

     · 2020 ~ Andy Dunn ~ World Economic Forum

     · In the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable cities are an important part of creating

       a safe and sustainable future, particularly given the rise in urbanization.

     · Provides a list of seven innovative projects that cities around the world have implemented to make

       their urban environments more earth friendly.

     · One examples is “sponge cities,” introducing greenscapes into urban spaces and vertical forests

       and planting greenery on the façade of tall buildings.

Cities at risk: dealing with the pressures of climate change

     · 2021 ~ CDP ~ CDP

     · In light of the climate crisis and the rapid urbanization of society, advocates for focusing attention

       on the threats that the climate crisis poses to the cities of the world and those who dwell within urban areas.

     · Emphasis is on understanding in-depth understanding of the threats that climate change presents to cities

     · Covers long- and short-term risks of climate change, the threats posed to citizens, and public service and

       health concerns, amongst other issues.

How COVID-19 can steer city leadership on sustainability

     · 2020 ~ Aloke Barnwal ~ Global Environmental Facility

     · The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the power that collective action and leadership can achieve,

       particularly in times of crisis. The coronavirus crisis has unearthed some important lessons for city

       leaders particularly as it relates to the climate crisis.

     · Specifically, the pandemic has highlighted three essential components of crisis-response as it relates

       to climate change: 1) Adoption of integrated approaches for crisis response, 2) innovative use of data

       and 3) an emphasis on partnerships as a means of addressing and instituting necessary changes and adaptations.

“With people crowding into urban areas, how can cities protect themselves against climate change?”

     · 2019 ~ Raisa Mattila ~ University of Helsinki

     · Climate change presents a significant threat to urban locations and populations around the world,

       particularly those that are less developed and, as a result, more vulnerable.

     · Given the global importance of cities, there is great potential in urban landscapes to adopt

       sustainable practices that will impact society at large.

     · Highlights the importance of individual action as a response to climate change, suggesting that by

       adopting sustainable practices in one's life, those efforts will not only positively impact the environment

       but will translate to political action as well.

Cities: A 'cause of and solution to' climate change

     · 2019 ~ UN Climate and Environment ~ UN News

     · The cities of the world account for roughly 70% of the global energy related GHG emissions

     · Given that by 2030, it is estimated that over two-thirds of the population will live in cities, they are an essential part of tackling climate change.

     · Cities are also the areas that are most at risk in the climate crisis given their proximity to water

     · If the cities of the world do not adapt, city-dwellers are likely to suffer significantly from climate change.

     · Ultimately, it is the people living in the poorest and least developed cities that will be most

       severely affected by climate change given the fragile nature of housing in these areas, the

       lack of government support, and a general shortage of basic resources.

     · To salvage the cities of the world and protect those who live in them, we must adapt to climate

       change or matters will become worse in a relatively short period of time.

Urban climate and adaptation strategies

     · 2015 ~ Larissa Larsen ~ University of Michigan

     · Extreme heat events are expected to increase in the future in tandem with increased urban heat island effects.

     · Explores causes of urban heat extremes, urban infrastructure, common adaptation strategies, and examples of progressive planning.

     · “Combining the ecosystem services of microclimate regulation, stormwater management, urban

        air quality, and carbon sequestration into one green-infrastructure 'utility' has practical advantages

        for municipal funding and implementation.”

Cities and climate change : urban sustainability and global environmental governance.

     · 2003 ~ Harriet Bulkeley and Michele Betsill ~ Routledge

     · Urban spaces are significant producers of GHG emissions and moving forward, cities will play a

       large role in the implementation of international agreements and national policies on climate change.

     · The book focuses primarily on the challenges for local governments in light of climate change.

       For instance, the conflicts between local economic development goals and climate change mitigation

       efforts as well as key challenges concerning the resources and powers of local government.

     · The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to issues surrounding local governmental action and the

       findings within are significant for the future of sustainable urban development.