With over fifty percent of the population already living in urban areas, cities must grapple with the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change (think: Superstorm Sandy in New York). In a new report, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has identified steps cities can take to make their infrastructure more resilient to changing climate conditions.
“Cities can learn from each other in how to become resilient in the face of extreme weather events caused by climate change,” said Dan Probst, Chairman of Energy and Sustainability Services at JLL. “That 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.”
The report, Global Sustainability Perspective, 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 use The Rockefeller Foundation’s 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; 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 recent Nature Climate Change report predicts that the average worldwide cost of urban flooding will rise to US$60 billion in 2050 if cities invest in adaptation strategies—and as much as US$1 trillion if they do not.
Other ways cities are attacking flood prevention: Mumbai 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. The Netherlands—long reliant on dikes, dams, locks and storm surge barriers—is allowing nature to reclaim some flood-prone areas, while Venice is constructing a movable tidal barrier system to close water inlets during high tides. Kuala Lumpur is investing more than US$645 million to construct a floodwater tunnel, flood retention ponds and a high-volume drainage system.
Sustainable neighborhoods are the backbone of resilient cities:
Micro-communities such as neighborhoods and districts can add huge impact – particularly in preparing for, and responding to climate change events. A new North American cities initiative, “2030 District,” 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.
Inter-city partnerships: sharing sustainability ideas drives resiliency:
Some cities are sharing knowledge to improve resiliency for all. The 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 buildings’ energy efficiency ratings. Another effort, the 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 shared learnings about quantifiable actions toward greater resiliency and sustainability.
Related Stories
| Dec 29, 2014
14 great solutions for the commercial construction market
Ideas are cheap. Solutions are what count. The latest installment in BD+C's Great Solutions series presents 14 ways AEC professionals, entrepreneurs, and other clever folk have overcome what seemed to be insoluble problems—from how to make bricks out of agricultural waste, to a new way to keep hospitals running clean during construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
HealthSpot station merges personalized healthcare with videoconferencing [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The HealthSpot station is an 8x5-foot, ADA-compliant mobile kiosk that lets patients access a network of board-certified physicians through interactive videoconferencing and medical devices. It was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
BIM and Information Technology | Dec 28, 2014
The Big Data revolution: How data-driven design is transforming project planning
There are literally hundreds of applications for deep analytics in planning and design projects, not to mention the many benefits for construction teams, building owners, and facility managers. We profile some early successful applications.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 28, 2014
6 trends steering today's college residence halls
University students want more in a residence hall than just a place to sleep. They want a space that reflects their style of living and learning.
| Dec 28, 2014
Using energy modeling to increase project value [AIA course]
This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW, explores how to increase project value through energy modeling, as well as how to conduct quick payback and net present value studies to identify which energy strategies are most viable for the project.
| Dec 28, 2014
The lowdown on LODs: Bringing clarity to BIM
These days, BIM is par for the course across most facets of design. But a lot of the conversation surrounding BIM still lacks clarity due to ambiguous terminology, a lack of clear-cut guiding illustrations, and widely varying implementation, writes GS&P's John Scannell.
| Dec 28, 2014
The future of airport terminal design: destination status, five-star amenities, stress-free travel
Taking a cue from the hospitality industry, airport executives are seeking to make their facilities feel more like destinations, writes HOK's Richard Gammon.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.