Urban Insight is based on a series of insight reports written by Sweco experts. It is a long-term initiative with a different theme each year. The theme for 2020 is Climate Action!
We are seeing examples of more extreme weather conditions than ever before. The most threatening one for our most vulnerable citizens, the very young and the elderly, is heat. As the density of our cities increases and the elderly population continues to grow, we are challenged to design urban environments that will be resilient to extreme heat and prolonged heatwaves.
We will have to apply the design principles of building social and physical structures for both a 2-year-old and an 80-year-old person, to provide safe, liveable and enjoyable environments.
Already today, infrastructure sectors in nations such as the UK account for over 50% of carbon emissions. By 2050 this figure may have increased to 90%. The ability to assess carbon at the earliest project stages is essential, as this is where the greatest carbon and cost reduction potential exists.