Cities and Climate Change

Abstract

This review paper considers the disjuncture between the rapid pace of climate change and the more sluggish ability of cities to fully implement effective strategies of climate change adaptation and mitigation. We will refer to this as the ‘slow city–quick climate change’ dilemma. Climate change is accelerating, quickly rendering obsolete previous urban forms inadequate, while structural adjustments to cities are slower moving. Cities around the world were largely built for previous climate regimes. In the short to medium term, there is a mismatch between the climate regime that cities were designed for and the climate regime they now inhabit. The paper is divided into four parts: a brief review of climate change in general; climate change in cities; a review of climate change adaptation and mitigation in cities; and finally, a discussion of urban futures in the time of climate regime change.

Is climate change affecting mental health of urban populations?

“…Yet, many are their vulnerability factors: build-up in urban infrastructure, rapid and chaotic urbanization, high densities and recent rapid growth, social inequality, and the ‘ heat island effect ’, that keeps the temperature of cities rising in the summer, seriously threatening the physical and mental health of urban residents. One study of 520 major cities across the world shows that by 2050 around 77% of all cities will experience a change in their climate regime; almost 22% of cities will exist in climate regimes that do not currently exist and only 23% will remain in similar climate regimes [8 ▪ ]. According to the latest IPCC report [2], increasing urbanization and climate change create complex risks, especially for cities that already experience poorly planned urban growth, high levels of poverty and unemployment, and a lack of basic services.…”

The Impact of Product Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty toward Hydroponic Vegetables in Padang City: Gender as Moderation Variable

“…Since agriculture depends heavily on the climate, climate change will have a variety of effects on it [2], and still shadowed with uncertainty [3]. The pace of climate change is accelerating, making earlier urban forms insufficient, and structural changes to cities are happening progressively [4]. Land needed for farming was scarce, hence cities were thought to be incompatible with agriculture.…”

Public Space and Environmental Behaviour: Weekly Markets in Hamburg, Germany

“…Generalized individual pro-environmental behaviour is particularly desirable in cities, which house more than half of the world's population and emit 80% of the greenhouse gasses [1]. The need to accelerate the transition is urgent but how to do it remains a puzzle.…”