Architects must act quickly and cooperatively to change cities and make their environmental good intentions reality, says Doug Voigt, urban design and planning partner at SOM.

As the alarm bells have grown louder and more insistent with each new scientific report, organisations including the RIBA and the American Institute of Architects have added their voices to a growing global declaration of emergency. But how will architects and urban designers respond to the climate crisis, and what concrete steps should we take to put these intentions into practice"
The most recent United Nations summary report for policymakers, published in May, presents a clear and urgent picture of the threat to life on this planet. Of an estimated total of eight million plant and animal species alive today, one million are at risk of extinction. Understanding the wide-ranging implications should motivate the design community to focus our efforts on protecting biodiversity ? an essential factor in the overall strength of the environment. Addressing the climate crisis will require solutions to the biodiversity crisis.
Design firms are in a unique position to lead the charge, partnering with allies in science to help reverse this existential threat
While the UN summary report presents an ominous picture, it also gives cause for hope: it highlights meaningful solutions and "ecosystem-based approaches" to mitigate the effects of human-induced climate change.
Design firms are in a uniq...