ABSTRACT
During the next decades, urban design will have a critical role in making planning and development decisions for places that will be changing rapidly. Many people will have to move as some places become permanently flooded, become deserts, are endangered by wildfires, or have dangerous summer temperatures. The danger of global pandemics will require redesigns for both indoor and outdoor public spaces. Public discussions about the future of shoreline areas and places close to wildlands will be critical not only at the community level but also for whole cities, regions, and megaregions. There are many parts of the United States which are in relatively little danger from a changing climate, and some of these places have been losing population. Urban design can provide a way to transform the public discussion about places that are becoming uninhabitable by considering where there may be desirable alternatives.
