Climate Change and the Built Environment

This course explores the intersection of climate change and the built environment. It examines how urban systems contribute to global warming, the risks cities face from extreme weather events, and the strategies that can mitigate environmental impact while enhancing resilience. From energy-efficient buildings and low-carbon materials to smart technologies and community engagement, the chapters ahead illuminate the tools, policies, and innovations reshaping our cities. But this is not a story of technology alone. It is a story of people—planners, architects, policymakers, investors, and residents—whose actions, behaviors, and decisions ultimately determine whether cities evolve into climate-resilient havens or remain vulnerable to environmental upheaval. By integrating science, policy, finance, and human-centered design, the built environment can transition from a source of emissions to a solution for sustainability. Climate Change and the Built Environment invites readers to envision this transformation. It challenges conventional thinking, presents evidence-based strategies, and highlights real-world examples of cities and communities pioneering the path to low-carbon, resilient futures. Above all, it underscores a fundamental truth: the choices we make in designing and managing our cities today will echo for decades, shaping not only the skyline but the very climate we inhabit. This course is a guide, a reference, and a call to action. For in the architecture of our cities lies both the challenge of climate change and the promise of its solution.