Read The Full Post Here: https://angusknowles.com/longform/climate-cities
About Angus
I develop and build attainable housing. I also write the semi-monthly re:Build newsletter on cities, housing, and the business of land development and home construction. My experience comes from working with a development and construction firm building attainable housing and as a board member of a non-profit making housing more affordable through shared equity and project financing. In my spare time I wander around cities, read weird blogs, play classical guitar, and practice muay thai. I’m often thinking about how cities can unlock human potential.
Summary
Densifying big cities is the low hanging fruit in the fight against climate change. Building more homes and increasing their population is the most impactful thing cities can do for the climate.
Cities are responsible for 75% of global energy consumption and 80% of green house gas (GHG) emissions. By making efficient use of land and other resources, they’re also the greenest way to house a growing global population. These efficiencies are amplified by the density of cities.
Consider, New York City. The largest and most dense city in the U.S. is one of the highest net emitters in the country but its per capita emissions are only 29.7% of those in the U.S. as a whole.
At a point when international, national, and provincial climate action is challenged, cities find themselves leading the fight against climate change. Yet climate strategies in many cities have optimized for the wrong outcome.