Series 3 — Regenerative Neighbourhoods and Cities

Series 2 of our Knowledge Product Collection explores the substantial carbon footprint of construction and outlines practical strategies to mitigate it. Equally crucial, however, is addressing the broader urban context. Urban areas are responsible for over 70 per cent of global carbon emissions and face significant challenges related to urbanization and land-use change, which are among the leading causes of environmental degradation.

Cities also grapple with pronounced socio-economic disparities and are on the frontlines of climate change impacts. Currently, an estimated 1.2 billion urban dwellers lack reliable, safe, and affordable access to basic services. By 2050, approximately 800 million people living in coastal cities will face sea level rise of at least 0.5 metres, while 1.6 billion urban dwellers will be exposed to extreme heat.

Yet how cities are designed and managed can significantly influence the trajectory of these challenges.

‍

Urban form, the use of urban space, infrastructure provision and mobility have a collective impact on energy and material use, waste management, biodiversity, disaster risk, health and socio-economic opportunities. To take just one example, a 2019 study looked at the potential for densification in city centres, which is particularly sustainable as it avoids further land use change, reduces energy demand and increases the efficiency of existing infrastructure. The study identified four housing typologies - multi-storey car parks, office and administrative buildings, 1950s and 1960s residential buildings, and single-storey retail buildings – as particularly suitable for densification (see image “The potential of inner-city densification”). While no single project will solve the housing shortage in Germany’s major cities, these buildings together could, at least in theory, meet the demand.

The integration of green and blue spaces in urban areas has a similarly strong impact. Not only does access to green spaces have a positive effect on the human psyche, but green spaces are also particularly important for biodiversity and strongly influence the local microclimate. For example, by developing a network of green spaces in Medellín, the city has managed to reduce ambient temperatures by an average of 2°C.

The third Knowledge Product series “Regenerative Neighbourhoods and Cities” explores such levers and the challenges of a regenerative transformation of the built environment at the neighbourhood and city scale. The first publication, “Adopting Compact and Mixed-Use Planning”, explores how the development and organization of individual neighbourhoods and entire cities has a significant impact on their environmental footprint, both in terms of resource use and carbon emissions. It provides examples of compact and mixed-use developments and how they are contextualised in different urban planning approaches and contexts. The second Knowledge Product “Green and Blue Spaces – Reintegrating Nature in Cities” (forthcoming) highlights the environmental and socio-economic benefits of designing, developing and maitaining green and blue spaces in urban areas.

Take a sneak peek into the third series or download the available Knowledge Products below.

‍

‍