Planning's importance in meeting the challenges of climate change in our cities should not be underestimated, writes Hélène Chartier.

The best climate activist is a good urban planner. Unlike buildings, transport or waste management, urban planning is not an emissions sector per se ? therefore, when reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate actions, local and national governments rarely share information on their land-use policies. However, evidence shows that adjusting how we plan our cities and towns will define how we face the climate crisis.
The latest report of the IPCC panel ? the United Nations body bringing together the world's leading scientists on climate change ? highlights the importance of urban planning. It states that adopting land-use policies leading to more compact and resource-efficient urban growth through higher residential and job densities, mixed land use and transit-oriented development could reduce GHG emissions by 25 per cent by 2050. Revising land-use policies is the most impactful action that local governments can take to reduce emissions
For this reason, good urban planners are key climate activists. They are taking global action by adopting new approaches that lower emissions and better prepare our cities for climate risks, such as flooding, heat and fire ? all of which will worsen in the coming decades.
In North America, city planners are tackling building and transport emissions by limiting car dependency and reducing the size ...