ABSTRACT

Cities are one of the most significant contributors to global climate change. The rapid speed at which urban centers use large amounts of resources adds to the global crisis and can lead to extreme local heat. The Urban Fix addresses how urban design, planning and policies can counter the threats of climate change, urban heat islands and overpopulation, helping cities take full advantage of their inherent advantages and new technologies to catalyze social, cultural and physical solutions to combat the epic, unprecedented challenges humanity faces.

The book fills a conspicuous void in the international dialogue on climate change and heat islands by examining both the environmental benefits in developed countries and the population benefit in developing countries. Urban heat islands can be addressed in incremental, manageable steps, such as planting trees and painting roofs white, which provide a more concrete and proactive sense of progress for policymakers and practitioners. This book is invaluable to anyone searching for a better understanding of the impact of resilient cities in the monumental and urgent fight against climate change, and provides the tools to do so.

chapter 1|38 pages

Connecting the Dots

Climate Change, Heat Islands, Overpopulation and Cities

chapter 2|45 pages

Triple Threat

UHIs, CC and Overpopulation

chapter 3|22 pages

Urban Albedo and Morphology

chapter 4|44 pages

Waste Heat

chapter 5|23 pages

Cool Micro-climates and Urban Trees

chapter 6|25 pages

Policies and Case Studies

chapter 7|13 pages

The Sharing Cosmopolis

Prosperity without Growth

chapter 8|54 pages

Cities

Our Last, Best Hope

chapter 9|36 pages

Time to Act