A Review of Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment

Abstract

There is growing consensus that the populations, infrastructure and ecology of cities are at risk from the impacts of climate change. This review collates evidence of effects in four main areas: urban ventilation and cooling, urban drainage and flood risk, water resources, and outdoor spaces (including air quality and biodiversity). It is shown that built areas exert considerable influence over their local climate and environment, and that urban populations are already facing a range of weather related risks such as heat waves, air pollution episodes and flooding. Although climate change is expected to compound these problems, building designers and spatial planners are responding through improved building design and layout of cities. For example, green roofs and spaces provide multiple benefits for air quality, mitigating excessive heat and enhancing biodiversity. Hard engineering solutions will continue to play a role in adapting to climate change, but so too will improved forecasting and preparedness, along with risk avoidance through planning controls. There is also an over-arching need for higher-resolution weather data for testing future performance of buildings, urban drainage and water supply systems at city scales.