Priorities for climate action across the built eviorment

The climate crisis demands urgent action, and our cities are on the front lines. But how do we truly ignite meaningful change within the very fabric of our urban environments? A groundbreaking new study, just published, cuts through the noise to reveal 16 critical priority actions for facilitating climate change action across every stage of the built environment’s life.

This isn’t just theory. These priorities emerged directly from the trenches – deep, insightful interviews with leading Australian built environment professionals, spanning urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and sustainability. Their wisdom, combined with earlier insights from the construction and property sectors, paints a powerful picture of where we need to focus our efforts.

The Uncomfortable Truths: Unpacking the Barriers to Progress

Our research uncovered some uncomfortable, yet vital, truths that we must confront head-on:

• The Costing Quandary: Across all sectors, the most formidable barrier identified was at the ‘costing and approvals’ stage. Too often, the immediate lure of economic savings or profit blinds us to the long-term imperative of climate change initiatives. This isn’t just a challenge; it’s a fundamental mindset shift we must achieve.
• The Power Perception Gap: Perhaps most strikingly, the most frequently cited barrier by professionals from all sectors was a perceived lack of influence. Imagine the sheer potential locked away if those on the ground felt empowered to drive the change they know is necessary! This points to a critical need to amplify voices and decentralize decision-making.

Building a Future, Together: The Path Forward

The message is clear: piecemeal approaches won’t cut it. To achieve the urgent climate action our cities demand, we need nothing short of an integrated, holistic strategy. This means seamlessly tackling climate change across every life stage of the built environment and fostering unprecedented collaboration across professional sectors.

Crucially, the success of this endeavor hinges on building the agency and capacity of built environment professionals. These are the innovators, the designers, the builders, the planners – they are the essential architects of our sustainable future. Empowering them with the tools, knowledge, and influence they need will be the linchpin of our collective success.

This vital research, proudly funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, lays out a bold roadmap. Now, the question isn’t just what we need to do, but how we galvanize every stakeholder to make these 16 priorities a living reality.

Dive into the full open-access paper here: https://lnkd.in/gRn_yGJV and join the conversation. The future of our cities, and indeed our planet, depends on it.

source:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anna-hurlimann-1182333b_how-can-we-facilitate-climate-change-action-activity-7338675895949250560-WUwJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAtGGkQBsxwMBmX3lEJO8btihnfBCaHqTz4