Context
Cities are responsible for the climate-sensitive development of their urban areas. While they are major contributors to climate change, they are also particularly vulnerable to its consequences. By taking appropriate measures, cities can make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change and increase their resilience to climate-related shocks. However, existing integrated urban development instruments and strategies, such as urban designs, zoning, land use and master plans, and city development strategies, must be adapted to the new challenges posed by climate change. This also applies to regulations and financing options. In addition, cities in future must look different to today.
Objective
As stakeholders in sustainability, cities apply a new climate-proof urban development approach.
Approach
Instruments for integrated, climate-sensitive urban development are to facilitate the creation of a climate-proof urban development approach that fosters new urban design. Climate-proofing means that city development strategies, urban designs, land use and master plans, and all related investments are resilient and adaptable to the current and future impacts of climate change. Furthermore, they must take climate change mitigation considerations into account.
The project supports innovative solutions for urban planning and makes cities fit for climate change. The intention is to make tackling climate change an integrated and strategic element of urban development. Plans, programmes and strategies and the associated investments are being made more resilient and adaptable to current and future impacts of climate change.
The project analyses and works on existing concepts for resilient and low-emission urban development. The selected cities – Chennai in India, Santiago in Chile and Durban (eThekwini) in South Africa – are supported in developing their climate-sensitive strategies and their own sources of financing. The partners present their experiences in this regard at international events and debates.
The project supports implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC ) and the Habitat III process aimed at setting a new urban agenda, among other initiatives. The project is guided by the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities and the Memorandum ‘Urban Energies – Urban Challenges’ of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB).