while protecting and preserving natural resources and systems.8
In Chapter 6, The Governed City, Bruce Katz and Luise Noring expand on the idea that in a world of global climate summits, urban governance and finance is a critical but often-overlooked element of transformational change. This chapter uses Copenhagen (and Denmark more broadly) to distill the lessons not just around the design (“the what”) of policy initiatives but also around the plan (“the how”) for delivering the climate commitments that an increasing number of cities and countries are making. Copenhagen and Denmark are models for how ambitious plans get implemented through capable municipal governments, empowered consortia of local governments, creative special-purpose institutions, and leading public pension funds. The creation of highly professionalized municipal governments and public institutions enables cities to use expert knowledge and sophisticated mechanisms to translate policy into action, leverage publicly owned assets, capture value appreciation for investment in public infrastructure, and deploy capital at scale. The adaptation of these models to cities and countries across the world is a necessary part of climate action. Our conclusion is simple: cities can tackle climate change if and only if they have institutions with the capacity, capital, and community standing necessary to get the job done.
In Chapter 7, The Decoupled City, Leah Lazer and Nick Godfrey base their ideas on the Coalition for Urban Transitions’ report “Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunity”, which quantifies the opportunities that urban climate action presents to fuel economic growth, create a more equitable society, and mitigate climate change. By taking an active role in supporting sustainable cities, national governments around the world can both drive economic prosperity and address the climate emergency.
Five case studies show that a rapid urban transition is possible with leadership from national governments, and quantitative analysis finds that investing in low-carbon measures in cities could be worth almost US$24 trillion by 2050 and that low-carbon measures in urban areas can support 87 million jobs by 2030 in sectors such as clean energy and public transport. Cutting 90% of emissions from cities would require an investment of US$1.8 trillion but would generate annual returns worth US$2.8 trillion in 2030 and US$7 trillion by 2050.
National governments can drive this transition by (1) developing a strategy to deliver shared prosperity while reaching net-zero emissions, with cities at its heart, (2) aligning national policies behind compact, connected, clean cities, (3) funding and financing sustainable urban infrastructure, (4) coordinating and supporting local climate action in cities, (5) building a multilateral system that fosters inclusive, zero-carbon cities, and (6) proactively planning for a just transition to zero-carbon cities.
In Chapter 8, The Responsible City, Justin Keeble and Molly Blatchly-Lewis write how a responsible city is an inclusive city, harnessing the catalytic potential of business for environmental and societal value. The city is guided by a clear and compelling mission and purpose. Its leaders know that responsible use of technology and innovation can shape sustainable outcomes. The authors draw on digitalization, the circular economy, and new modes of collaboration to accelerate efforts in combatting climate change through collective action. This chapter explores the critical role of businesses in reaching city goals.
In Chapter 9, The Energized City, Pete Daw makes it clear – the way cities use energy needs a total rethink if we are to make them sustainable. Energy is integral to our lives and our economies, but our cities rely heavily on fossil fuels to provide electrical power, to heat homes and offices, and to fuel our road transport. This drives many consequences for cities from polluting the air we breathe, causing premature deaths and diseases and contributing to the climate crisis. As more and more people choose to live in our cities the demand for energy is increasing. Increasingly we need to think of city infrastructure as one interconnected system, understanding that interdependence is critical to enabling a shift to clean power driving more and more of our systems. This requires thinking about transport, buildings, energy grids, water management, and waste management as integrated parts of the city. City governments can play an important role in driving that system change. They must have a clear and actionable plan, they can drive new zero-carbon development through their planning powers, and they can drive retrofitting programmes and renewable energy programmes, engaging their communities while creating jobs. And cities continue to innovate, blazing a trail for others to follow. But there is potential to do much more. National and state governments can and must unlock the full potential of cities through a new deal with city governments if we are to make the progress we need to see in tackling climate change.
In Chapter 10, The Agile City (Part I), Julia Thayne writes how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and the racial justice protests that followed this, marked a tidal-wave change in how city governments view their roles in managing urban transportation networks. Both events exposed what was already becoming clear through heightened awareness of climate change: cities must leverage agile decision-making to create and operate agile transportation systems that respond to what people need when they need it. The “Agile City” is about how to build those new systems. It starts by exploring the impacts of how the design of cities’ transportation networks – looking at how not only people but also things move across cities – has affected urban economies, environmental footprint, social inclusion, and even their physical shape. It then looks at new transport modes and technologies and how they might be used to supplement or supplant existing urban transportation networks. It acknowledges the current disconnect between the vision and the reality of urban transportation and discusses the multiple reasons why this might be the case. It ends with a note of pragmatic optimism on a way forward, a path based on one fundamental assertion: How people move, and how easily people move, in cities is directly linked to cities’ wellbeing.
In Chapter 11, The Agile City (Part II), Jonathan Laski asks the reader to contemplate if a city can truly be sustainable without allowing its citizens and visitors alike to move around safely, inexpensively, accessibly, and without fear of sickness from air pollution. Prioritizing walking, cycling, and mass transit offers governments a cumulative saving opportunity of almost 10% of global GDP. The chapter summarizes the environmental, social, and economic co-benefits of designing cities to prioritize active mobility, covering everything from reduced healthcare costs to increased support for local businesses. The chapter concludes by referencing two current events – the COVID-19 global pandemic and mass protests for racial equality – both of which have nudged cities further towards recentring people and their free movement at the heart of cities.
In Chapter 12, The Habitable City (Part I), Olivia Nielsen walks us through some of the challenges of housing the world’s population when financial and environmental resources are scarce. The world’s current housing deficit is estimated at 1 billion units, and the UN predicts that by 2030 this deficit will affect close to 40% of the global population. By then, 60% of the world will live in urban areas, and the burden of housing these growing populations will fall primarily on cities. Cities must find ways to house 200,000 newcomers pouring in from the countryside every day. Addressing the global housing deficit will require us to build millions of new units while continuously upgrading and investing in our current housing stock. The Habitable City explores how cash-strapped cities can utilize new ideas and solutions to address this challenge, while minimizing our impact on the environment and integrating disaster and climate resilience as critical components of housing policies.
In Chapter 13, The Habitable City (Part II), Nicky Gavron and Alex Denvir move the housing discussion to a new level. The construction sector is responsible for more than 23% of
