Climate Change Adaptation By Design: A Guide For Sustainable Communities

Document summary

This report explores the implications of a changing climate on the built environment and how adaptation is an essential component of sustainable development. The built environment generally has a design life of 40–100 years, and the urban form has even greater longevity. This makes climate change a current, rather than a future issue. In order to help communities adapt, planners, urban designers, architects, and developers should take into account predicted climates over this century at the design stage of any new development, refurbishment or regeneration programme. Climate change presents significant opportunities to create or remodel outdoor spaces and buildings that are resilient in the face of future climates. Adaptation will enhance the liveability of, and quality of life in, communities in future. Climate change also presents opportunities to develop new services and products that respond to changing customer preferences. Planners, developers, architects and urban designers should aim to implement zero- and low-carbon adaptation strategies, in accordance with greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. However, to be effective efforts to reduce emissions must take account of a changing climate and the need to adapt at the same time.