Urban Growth and Climate Change Strategies for Effective Mitigation and Adaptation

Between 1950 and 2030, the share of the world‟s population that lives in cities is predicted togrow from 30% to 60%. This urbanization has consequences for the likelihood of climatechange and for the social costs that climate change will impose on the world‟s quality of life.Cities are the engine of capitalist growth. Over time, people move from rural to urban areasas they seek a higher standard of living. In cities, people earn higher incomes and thus havethe financial resources to purchase more consumption products ranging from privatetransportation to larger homes. Urbanization increases the demand for residential andcommercial electricity consumption. Low and middle-income nations now have threequartersof the world‟s urban population. They also have most of the urban population atgreatest risk from the increased intensity and/or frequency of storms, flooding, landslides andheat waves that climate change is bringing or will bring.The need for action by Governments on climate-change adaptation is also urgent – andprobably more urgent than that suggested by the IPCC‟s Fourth Assessment. This paperdetails the high adaptive and mitigative capacities which are infused into urban planning inplanned cities using a case study from Toronto, Canada based on Toronto Green Standards.The main thrust areas highlighted in this paper are the development of innovative methods forreducing storm water flows thus reducing flood hazards, the use of advanced energy efficienttechnologies including renewable energies, development of innovative green spaces such asgreen roofs and designs that will reduce the urban heat island effect. The services provided bythe provincial/municipal governments aided by the private sector in ensuring the protection ofthe urban populations and ecosystems from the adverse consequences of climate change arephenomenal in bringing on success; early warning for hazardous climatic events, rapidemergency response from the police, health service and fire services, all buildingsconforming to building regulations and to health and safety regulations and served by pipedwater, sewers, all-weather roads, electricity and drains 24 hours a day. The cost of suchinfrastructure and services represents a small proportion of income for most citizens whetherpaid direct as service charges or within taxes. For the most part, most citizens engage verylittle in the management of these because it is assumed that government systems will ensureprovision. However there are channels for complaints if needed – for instance localpoliticians or lawyers, ombudsmen, consumer groups and watchdogs. Thus, the vast majorityof urban dwellers are protected from extreme weather without them having to engage in theinstitutions that ensure such protection. In addition to these there are other measures such ascarbon pricing/taxes, incentives for green lifestyles etc. adopted to motivate people to reduceglobal warming emissions.Keywords: Urban planning, Urban growth, Climate change mitigation, Climate change adaptation, Green standard