Urban planning failures putting lives at risk

Katie Murray in AlertNet: Failures of urban planning are putting lives, infrastructure and businesses at risk as weather shocks – like the floods now surging through Bangkok – become more frequent as a result of climate change, urban planning and climate experts say.

But focusing on improving building codes, land use regulation, public health and sanitation, and disaster response measures could help reduce risks, said David Dodman, leader of the cities and climate team at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development, which works on sustainable development issues.

“My concern is that the global framework for responding to climate change is basically entirely focused on (national) action. There is an important role for the nation-state, but there needs to be a greater focus on the role of localities, because they will play a major role in response,” said Dodman, one of the authors of a new briefing on “Urban adaptation planning: the use and limits of climate science.”

Failing to prepare for climate change effects is becoming increasingly riskier as severe weather becomes more frequent, and as the world’s urban population is expected to balloon from 3.3 billion to 5 billion over the next 20 years.

Dodman says cities need to make changes and adjustments in infrastructure and response systems to ensure that people have sufficient access to shelter, water, food, sanitation and information as climate change effects worsen. ...

View of the central square of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Results of the implementation of the first General urbanist plan in for Skopje by the new socialist authorities. Also, an example of modernist architecture and urban design in a neoclassical city