Changing Urban Climate and CO2 Emissions: Implications for the Development of Policies for Sustainable Cities

Current planning strategies for future urban development often target issues such as housing, transport, water and infrastructure; but very few strategies comprehensively consider the urban climate and its interaction with the built environment. By drawing on recent research conducted in Melbourne, Australia, this article demonstrates the importance of incorporating urban climate understanding and knowledge into urban planning processes to better develop cities that are more sustainable. Melbourne currently experiences the effects of a modified urban climate, with research demonstrating that during the night, urban areas are often warmer than surrounding rural landscapes: an effect known as the 'urban heat island'. Recent studies also suggest that continuing current patterns of development without intervention would produce degraded urban climates with further exacerbated urban temperatures. With the urgency regarding the enhanced greenhouse effect, the urban heat island is an extremely important issue, as the growing urban population could be further exposed to elevated temperatures. Given our improved understanding of the interactions between the built environment and urban climates, those involved in urban planning and development should begin to adopt this knowledge. Many opportunities exist to intentionally modify the built environment (e.g. cool roofs; water-sensitive urban design) to minimise the risks of developing unfavourable urban climates.