With over fiftyĀ percentĀ of the population already living in urban areas, cities must grapple with the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change (think:Ā SuperstormĀ Sandy in New York). In a new report,Ā Jones Lang LaSalleĀ (JLL) has identified steps cities can take to make their infrastructure more resilient to changing climate conditions.
āCities can learn from each other in how to become resilient in the face of extreme weather events caused by climate change,āĀ saidĀ DanĀ Probst, Chairman of Energy and Sustainability ServicesĀ at JLL. āThat means future-proofing every aspect of the city, including flood protection as sea levels rise, and rethinking infrastructure, electrical grids, food supplies, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, water, waste management and more.āĀ
The report,Ā Global Sustainability Perspective,Ā provides real-world examples of resiliency-building efforts in New York City and other major cities around the globe, focused on four themes: the importance of resiliency rising as population increases; flood protection; sustainable neighbourhoods; and inter-city idea exchange.
As the population increases, so must resiliency:
In most cases, the effects of the most catastrophic events can be curbed when cities increase the resiliency of their systems and infrastructure. To future-proof a city in this way, leaders can useĀ The Rockefeller Foundationās definition of urban resiliency as a roadmap. The foundation defines a resilient city as one with spare capacity and backups for key systems; flexibility to adapt and evolve as the climate changes; limited risk to contain the effects of an infrastructure system component failure;Ā and rapid rebound following a disruption. By addressing these aspects of resiliency cities can mitigate the risks of natural disasters.
Flood prevention is population protection:
Discussions on future-proofing an urban environment cannot exclude the devastating effects of flooding, resulting from the many types of storms. A recentĀ Nature Climate Change reportĀ predicts that the average worldwide cost of urban flooding will rise to US$60 billion in 2050 if cities invest in adaptation strategiesāand as much as US$1 trillion if they do not.
Other ways cities are attacking flood prevention:Ā MumbaiĀ has deepened and widened its major rivers, built new pumping stations to discharge storm water to the sea, and installed flow gauges upriver to provide early flood warning.Ā The Netherlandsālong reliant on dikes, dams, locks and storm surge barriersāis allowing nature to reclaim some flood-prone areas, whileĀ VeniceĀ is constructing a movable tidal barrier system to close water inlets during high tides.Ā Kuala LumpurĀ isĀ investing more than US$645 million to construct a floodwater tunnel, flood retention ponds and a high-volume drainage system.Ā Ā
SustainableĀ neighborhoodsĀ are the backbone of resilient cities:
Micro-communities such asĀ neighborhoodsĀ and districts can add huge impact ā particularly in preparing for, and responding to climate change events. A new North American cities initiative, ā2030 District,ā is helping cities focus on geographically defined downtown areas and pursue district-wide targets for conserving energy and water and reducing vehicle emissions. The 2030 Districts are at the forefront of regional and national grassroots efforts to create strong environmental partnerships, coalitions and collaboration around ambitious, measurable goals at the local level.
Seattle, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Cleveland are among the participants to date, with nine other cities expected to join shortly.Ā
Inter-city partnerships: sharing sustainability ideas drives resiliency:
Some cities are sharing knowledge to improve resiliency for all. TheĀ C40 Cities ClimateLeadership Group, for example, brings together city leaders to share best practices for sustainable action on climate change, such as car-free days and disclosure of buildingsā energy efficiency ratings. Another effort, theĀ Better Buildings Partnership(BBP), creates partnerships between landlords, tenants, government leaders and sector partners to improve the sustainability performance of buildings. Sydney, London and Toronto are current participants, each benefiting from sharedĀ learningsĀ about quantifiable actions toward greater resiliency and sustainability.
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