How to create
more sustainable cities
.jpg)
In partnership with
"The perfect city doesn’t exist, but through collective actions, the next generation could have it in sight."
The places we live — our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods — shape almost every part of our lives: how we move, how we work, what we breathe, and what we value. With more than half the world’s population living in urban areas, cities are key to solving the climate crisis. Sustainable cities are designed to be inclusive, low-carbon, circular, and resilient. They put people and the planet first — and they’re already being built.
Incorporating local, natural materials like timber, bamboo, mud, and hemp crete into urban construction reduces environmental impact while enhancing cultural resonance. By blending traditional building techniques with modern design, we can create structures that are not only sustainable but also foster community identity and resilience. Materials like gluelam and natural stone offer low-carbon alternatives to conventional construction, while earth-based options, such as rammed earth and mud bricks, provide cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. By prioritising sustainable materials, we can move towards cities that are both eco-friendly and deeply connected to local cultures.
Nature-based solutions like sponge cities use the natural environment to address urban challenges such as flooding, heat islands, and pollution. By integrating green spaces, wetlands, and permeable surfaces, cities can reduce stormwater runoff, promote biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate impacts. Nature-based infrastructure offers an innovative, low-tech solution to the pressures of urbanization while improving quality of life for residents.
Revitalizing urban commons—shared spaces such as parks, community gardens, and public squares—plays a key role in fostering sustainability and social cohesion. By prioritizing these communal spaces in urban planning, cities can enhance environmental quality, increase access to green spaces, and promote equitable resource distribution. These revitalized spaces also strengthen community ties, offering opportunities for social interaction, local engagement, and collective action, all of which are essential for creating cities that are both environmentally and socially resilient.
Inclusive urban planning means designing cities with communities, not just for them. By giving residents the chance to contribute their knowledge, we create spaces that truly serve their needs. This approach also ensures that marginalized groups are heard, advancing urban justice. Empower communities to lead planning, zoning, and grassroots initiatives, ensuring solutions are adaptable and tailored to their unique environments.
Retrofitting is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental footprint of our built environment. Existing buildings hold vast stores of embodied carbon, and adapting them instead of demolishing preserves this value while avoiding the emissions of new construction. Retrofitting can dramatically improve a building’s energy efficiency, reduce waste, and help cities retain their architectural heritage. By upgrading what we already have, we honour the past while preparing our infrastructure for a low-carbon future.
Doughnut Economics provides a framework for designing cities that meet the needs of all residents within the ecological boundaries of the planet. Applying this model to urban planning means focusing on both social and environmental sustainability. Cities can be reimagined as spaces that provide equitable access to resources, while ensuring that consumption does not exceed the local ecosystem’s limits. By integrating this approach, cities can prioritize regenerative design, social well-being, and environmental stewardship in their development strategies.
The 15-minute city concept focuses on creating urban environments where residents can access all their essential services—work, education, healthcare, and recreation—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. By prioritizing mixed-use neighborhoods, active transportation, and local services, this model reduces reliance on cars, cuts emissions, and fosters stronger, more resilient communities. Shifting towards the 15-minute city makes cities more livable, sustainable, and equitable.
Incorporating local, natural materials like timber, bamboo, mud, and hemp crete into urban construction reduces environmental impact while enhancing cultural resonance. By blending traditional building techniques with modern design, we can create structures that are not only sustainable but also foster community identity and resilience. Materials like gluelam and natural stone offer low-carbon alternatives to conventional construction, while earth-based options, such as rammed earth and mud bricks, provide cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. By prioritising sustainable materials, we can move towards cities that are both eco-friendly and deeply connected to local cultures.
Nature-based solutions like sponge cities use the natural environment to address urban challenges such as flooding, heat islands, and pollution. By integrating green spaces, wetlands, and permeable surfaces, cities can reduce stormwater runoff, promote biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate impacts. Nature-based infrastructure offers an innovative, low-tech solution to the pressures of urbanization while improving quality of life for residents.
Revitalizing urban commons—shared spaces such as parks, community gardens, and public squares—plays a key role in fostering sustainability and social cohesion. By prioritizing these communal spaces in urban planning, cities can enhance environmental quality, increase access to green spaces, and promote equitable resource distribution. These revitalized spaces also strengthen community ties, offering opportunities for social interaction, local engagement, and collective action, all of which are essential for creating cities that are both environmentally and socially resilient.
Inclusive urban planning means designing cities with communities, not just for them. By giving residents the chance to contribute their knowledge, we create spaces that truly serve their needs. This approach also ensures that marginalized groups are heard, advancing urban justice. Empower communities to lead planning, zoning, and grassroots initiatives, ensuring solutions are adaptable and tailored to their unique environments.
Retrofitting is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental footprint of our built environment. Existing buildings hold vast stores of embodied carbon, and adapting them instead of demolishing preserves this value while avoiding the emissions of new construction. Retrofitting can dramatically improve a building’s energy efficiency, reduce waste, and help cities retain their architectural heritage. By upgrading what we already have, we honour the past while preparing our infrastructure for a low-carbon future.
Doughnut Economics provides a framework for designing cities that meet the needs of all residents within the ecological boundaries of the planet. Applying this model to urban planning means focusing on both social and environmental sustainability. Cities can be reimagined as spaces that provide equitable access to resources, while ensuring that consumption does not exceed the local ecosystem’s limits. By integrating this approach, cities can prioritize regenerative design, social well-being, and environmental stewardship in their development strategies.
The 15-minute city concept focuses on creating urban environments where residents can access all their essential services—work, education, healthcare, and recreation—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. By prioritizing mixed-use neighborhoods, active transportation, and local services, this model reduces reliance on cars, cuts emissions, and fosters stronger, more resilient communities. Shifting towards the 15-minute city makes cities more livable, sustainable, and equitable.
Urban spaces thrive when they balance environmental health with social well-being. Whether you're a resident, designer, planner, policymaker, or just someone who loves their neighbourhood, there’s a role for you in making urban spaces more liveable, equitable, and resilient. Here’s how to get involved.
.jpg)
