Report Predicts Cities’ Reaction to Climate Change

A report by the engineering and design consultancy Arup projects how cities around the world will change in response to climate change, resource scarcity and increasing urban flooding.

Cities Alive predicts that technology and nature will work together seamlessly to create cities that are an integrated network of intelligent green spaces. Buildings may be transformed into vertical urban farms, and solar powered pathways and urban wetlands and forests will become common features.

The report also looks at the importance of creating higher quality public places and greener urban environments through high quality landscape design in order to protect our cities from flooding and increase the health and wellbeing of citizens.

The report also highlights the benefits that additional green spaces will provide in terms of increasing health and wellbeing including:

• Increasing life expectancy by up to five years. People perceive distance to be shorter in greener areas and are therefore more likely to walk
• Helping people recover faster from illness, reducing the cost of healthcare
• Reducing the number of sick days - people who work in buildings that can see green space take almost a quarter less time off work than those who can’t.