xxxviii
Introduction
Climate change has undoubtedly emerged as a crucial issue since the beginning of
the twenty-first century. According to IPCC predictions, the phenomena associated
with climate variability will intensify in the coming decades (2007), and climaterelated extreme events will constitute an increasing risk on a social and ecological
level (2012). Over the past 20 years, the need to address the dynamics of climate
change on an urban scale has been recognized at the institutional, academic and
operational levels.
In this context, the challenges posed by the changing climate scenario require a
redefinition of the urban and territorial planner’s role, as well as revising the planner’s skills and planning tools. In fact traditionally, planning has been based on the
assumption that human activities are planned and implemented in an “unchanging”
context, characterized by stable regional and environmental conditions. The compressed environmental dynamics set in motion by environmental change and – more
generally – the social, economic and environmental impacts related to climatic phenomena that occur in urban settings, even under emergency conditions, require the
adoption of a new perspective and new tools, able to increase the adaptive capacity
of cities compared to changes to the city, which are partially generated by the cities
themselves.
The relationship between climate change and cities is rather complex and some
of the challenges that planners will have to face, especially in terms of mitigation
and adaptation, can be identified with the effects of climate change. The contrast
with the Urban Heat Islands (UHI) is one of the most obvious, intensified by global
warming, which in the coming years will also have to be addressed structurally by
urban and territorial planning.
Climate Change and the City: A Complex Relationship
From Sustainability to Climate Change: Towards a New
Approach
With respect to when cities and territories were built, conditions are changing radically. Urban planning, as a discipline, was developed in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century, mainly as a response to the crisis of the times, related to hygienic
needs, clean water, decent housing, open spaces, efficient transport systems and
social welfare. During the twentieth century however, urban planning expanded to
meet the emerging challenges of environmental protection, sustainable urban development and international cooperation (Wheeler 2010).
To speak today of sustainability, in planning or in relation to territorial dynamics,
is not easy and requires attention. A first element to consider is the lack of consensus that exists with respect to the concept of “sustainable city”. A second
Planning and Climate Change: Concepts, Approaches, Design
Introduction
Climate change has undoubtedly emerged as a crucial issue since the beginning of
the twenty-first century. According to IPCC predictions, the phenomena associated
with climate variability will intensify in the coming decades (2007), and climaterelated extreme events will constitute an increasing risk on a social and ecological
level (2012). Over the past 20 years, the need to address the dynamics of climate
change on an urban scale has been recognized at the institutional, academic and
operational levels.
In this context, the challenges posed by the changing climate scenario require a
redefinition of the urban and territorial planner’s role, as well as revising the planner’s skills and planning tools. In fact traditionally, planning has been based on the
assumption that human activities are planned and implemented in an “unchanging”
context, characterized by stable regional and environmental conditions. The compressed environmental dynamics set in motion by environmental change and – more
generally – the social, economic and environmental impacts related to climatic phenomena that occur in urban settings, even under emergency conditions, require the
adoption of a new perspective and new tools, able to increase the adaptive capacity
of cities compared to changes to the city, which are partially generated by the cities
themselves.
The relationship between climate change and cities is rather complex and some
of the challenges that planners will have to face, especially in terms of mitigation
and adaptation, can be identified with the effects of climate change. The contrast
with the Urban Heat Islands (UHI) is one of the most obvious, intensified by global
warming, which in the coming years will also have to be addressed structurally by
urban and territorial planning.
Climate Change and the City: A Complex Relationship
From Sustainability to Climate Change: Towards a New
Approach
With respect to when cities and territories were built, conditions are changing radically. Urban planning, as a discipline, was developed in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century, mainly as a response to the crisis of the times, related to hygienic
needs, clean water, decent housing, open spaces, efficient transport systems and
social welfare. During the twentieth century however, urban planning expanded to
meet the emerging challenges of environmental protection, sustainable urban development and international cooperation (Wheeler 2010).
To speak today of sustainability, in planning or in relation to territorial dynamics,
is not easy and requires attention. A first element to consider is the lack of consensus that exists with respect to the concept of “sustainable city”. A second
Planning and Climate Change: Concepts, Approaches, Design