News on Climate Smart Urban Development
Author(s): Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero, Miguel Blanco-Callejo
Date: 5th December 2024
Long story short:
The Sustainability Report in Spain 2024 underlines the need to turn cities into benchmarks of ecological transition, sustainability and equity, offering strategies based on data, good practices and concrete proposals. This approach includes the re-naturalization of urban spaces, the promotion of nature-based solutions and the active participation of citizens, elements that foster resilience and social cohesion in the face of the challenges of climate change.
Main Content:
Cities are at the Centre of a global challenge: combining urban development with environmental sustainability and social well-being. With more than 55% of the world’s population living in urban environments, a figure that could rise to 68% by 2050, this growth intensifies pressure on essential resources such as water and energy, while exacerbating problems such as pollution and ecosystem fragmentation. Responsible for 70% of global CO₂ emissions, cities have a key role to play in the fight against climate change. Their transformation towards models of sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies, together with more sustainable water and ecological management, is essential to reduce their environmental impact and improve the quality of life of their inhabitants.
The Sustainability in Spain Report underlines the need to turn cities into benchmarks of ecological transition, sustainability and equity, offering strategies based on data, good practices and concrete proposals. This approach includes the re-naturalization of urban spaces, the promotion of nature-based solutions and the active participation of citizens, elements that foster resilience and social cohesion in the face of the challenges of climate change. Thus, the report sets out a roadmap for building more liveable, healthy and sustainable cities, adapted to the major environmental challenges of the 21st century. This will allow strengthening cities’ capacity to lead the global ecological transition.
Through case studies and analysis of real experiences, this report addresses how municipalities can lead change towards more sustainable, resilient and inclusive models. The active promotion of citizen participation is amongst elements that strengthen resilience to extreme weather events and foster social cohesion.
The crucial role of cities in democratic governance and sustainability, underlining their capacity to respond effectively to local needs and foster citizen participation, as they have demonstrated by adopting strategies such as Local Agenda 21, Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda, integrating the participation of various actors in the formulation of public policies is clarified. An exploration of the organizational structures from which Spanish cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants address the environmental challenge and of the projects they are developing with European funding points to a situation of great diversity is explained. The expansion of environmental and sustainability action is confirmed not to be assured yet today in all urban territories.
Impact on Industry:
These news impact in a positive way in the industry as it presents a roadmap for building climate smart urban development in Spanish cities. The roadmap is based on benchmarks and in the continuous interchange of information with key partners: government agencies, firms providing innovations and co-innovation practices with citizens.
Conclusion:
- Combining urban development with environmental sustainability and social welfare is a priority in the next years.
- Transformation towards models of sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies, together with a more sustainable water and ecological management, is essential to reduce their environmental impact and improve the quality of life of inhabitants worldwide and particular in Spain.
- A roadmap for building more liveable, healthy and sustainable cities, adapted to the major environmental challenges of forthcoming decades is presented.
- Rational water management is urgent in Mediterranean countries.
- Urban planning: regenerate and rehabilitate are key in old Spanish cities.
