Traditional urban design can build climate-resilient communities

The question of how to adapt to rising global temperatures is becoming an urgent one for urban planners and authorities.

In March 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) sounded a “red alert” on planetary heating, confirming that 2023 was the warmest year on record. A few days later, a Global Summit on Extreme Heat, convened by the US Agency for International Development and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, urged world leaders to redouble their planning for soaring temperatures. As UN Secretary General António Guterres said in July 2023, “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”

The challenge is particularly acute in the Middle East and North Africa, which is facing temperature increases that are higher than average. Climate researchers believe that maximum daily air temperatures in the region could rise from about 43°C to 46°C by mid-century, reaching almost 50°C by the end of the century. Temperatures above 50°C have already been recorded during heatwaves in Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Good urban design can restore natural balance

Global warming has become an important factor in the design and development of towns and cities, says Meskerem Brhane, director for sustainable development, Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank. Urban heat islands, which are caused when the design and layout of buildings and streets increase temperatures, are already affecting cities in MENA, according to Brhane. “We need towns and cities that are able to withstand these increased temperatures,” she says.

Investment is increasingly being directed to plans that help communities adapt to life in a hotter climate and mitigate the associated risks, such as increased flooding. The challenge is not only reducing the environmental impacts of today’s urban communities, but creating systems that actively help restore balance to off-kilter natural systems. “We need to start thinking regeneratively,” says Brhane. “How do we leave our world a better place for the next generation?”

The architecture of the past could make planning more effective

According to architect William McDonough, who is founding principal at McDonough + Partners, giving communities the resilience to recover and regenerate requires planners to shift from simply “eco-efficient” to “eco-effective” strategies.

“It is the difference between trying to achieve net zero — in other words, to do zero bad — and aiming for a ‘net positive’ impact,” says McDonough. “You can do something to be more efficient, whether it’s reducing carbon emissions or water waste. That’s still important, but we need to be effective — to do more of the right thing.”

AlUla county in Saudi Arabia is an example of a development project which is aspiring to become eco-effective. “A key part of our work is understanding how local practices can be used to address urgent challenges caused by global warming,” says Catherine Cone, sustainability planning director at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). “For centuries, AlUla has used traditional processes which build with local materials such as earth, stone and palm to merge a rich heritage and an imposing natural landscape into functional structures for residential and commerce.”

RCU says it aims to establish the next generation of construction codes and standards, and it has set up the Centre of Excellence in Earthen Architecture and Sustainable Construction to share its findings. “The Centre will provide a physical hub and educational platform to elevate our work advancing carbon-neutral buildings, bioclimatic architecture [designing buildings based on the local climate], heritage preservation, supporting innovation in materials and techniques, and growing local and regional talents,” says Cone.

Planners are saving resources with smarter design

Karim Elgendy, urban sustainability lead at Buro Happold, agrees that the best planning solutions often draw on techniques developed by ancient communities. “You can shade one building with the building next door,” he says. “You can use water features for evaporative cooling, supported by vegetation. You can design alleyways and small roads to channel air, perhaps using the predominant wind or sea breeze, to improve thermal comfort.”

Crucially, this also needs fewer resources. “These are all passive measures,” says Elgendy. “They're just design. They don't require technology and they don't require any energy to operate.”

Another way to tackle heat is by using cool roofs and pavements, which have bright coatings that reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat. And increasing the amount of green infrastructure — trees and plants — in neighbourhoods provides shade, controls humidity and improves air quality.

Make the business case

Decision-makers are increasingly recognising that they can quantify the significant financial benefits from eco-effective developments, says McDonough. His firm worked on Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge site, planning the roof for its Dearborn truck assembly plant with 10 acres of sedum that helped moderate temperatures and manage stormwater.

“People said, ‘You can’t do it, we have a set budget’,” he recalls. “But Ford was able to show that planting the roof would save the company $35mn in capital investments for conventional water treatment facilities, pipes and running costs, required by the Clean Water Act. It was the equivalent financial benefit of selling $900mn-worth of cars.”

Finding the right combination of contemporary innovation and ancient local wisdom will be the way forward for urban development as planners adapt to a heating world, says McDonough: “Unless you use local materials, local energy, local all things that allow you to regenerate, then you won’t have resilience.”