ISOCARP Climate Action Updates: New and radical spatial planning for systemic change in cities

Forward

In preparation for the upcoming COP27, the UN World Urban Forum and the ISOCARP World Planning Congress, ISOCARP members took the initiative to put together this Special Newsletter to share Climate related updates and opinions with the community. We would like to warmly thank Pietro Elisei, Martina Juvara, Elisabeth Belpair, Ali Alraouf, Khalid El Adli, Abbas El Zafarany and Huda Shaka for their contribution.

Introduction

Cities play a critical role in our multiple crises: they are leading sources of GHG emissions, but also the places where different aspects of the climate crisis overlap and where strong responses are needed for a fair and just transition. It’s clear that the way cities are planned and managed needs to drastically change if we are serious about meeting ambitious but necessary targets for emission reduction and adaptation to a changing climate.

Action is now finally being taken by many city leaders, but is this approach enough to deliver the radical transformation our cities need to make good on our promises?