Today’s urban planning decisions have a profound impact on how people live and how cities respond to climate change. Well-designed cities that prioritize density, mixed-use neighborhoods, green spaces, pedestrian safety, and public transportation not only improve quality of life but also reduce emissions and increase resilience to climate risks. In the context of the growing climate risks realised in extreme weather events, such as extreme heat, droughts, flooding, cities need to rapidly mitigate the consequences and adapt to the climate change. 

This session will showcase concrete solutions implemented at different scales  that are leading the way in regenerative and sustainable urban planning in the context of the growing challenges – rapid urbanization, climate change, extreme heat, disaster risks, economic and social difficulties of vulnerable groups of the population. Among others, the session will showcase examples from the BeCool project implemented in India which aims to improve access to cooling through passive measures in buildings and cities in India to reduce the impact of extreme heat on human health and productivity, while decreasing energy requirements, costs and greenhouse gas emissions linked to active cooling.

An interactive discussion will follow in breakout sessions to explore opportunities, challenges, and innovative approaches, highlighting how cities can create inclusive, low-carbon, and climate-resilient communities while supporting economic and social development. 

In the final plenary session, participants will formulate actionable recommendations to guide sustainable and resilient urban planning in their own contexts. 

• What concrete spatial strategies and policy levers are proving most effective in curbing urban sprawl and delivering compact, mixed-use, and transit-oriented cities?
• What are the main political, financial, and institutional barriers to scaling risk-informed zoning and bioclimatic urbanism; and how can they be overcome?
• How can cities and national governments better align land-use planning, infrastructure, and finance to accelerate implementation and unlock investment at scale?
• What does effective intergovernmental alignment on urban planning look like in practice, and how can coordination between local, regional, and national levels be strengthened?
• How can planning systems balance strategic vision with efficiency; ensuring faster, more predictable and transparent processes without compromising quality and accountability?

Short introductory presentation followed by presentations of case studies from China, Cambodia and Uganda. This will be followed by breakout groups interactive discussion around a set of defined guiding questions, including possible case studies. After the breakouts, the breakouts facilitators will report back by presenting one or two slides max. Based on the reports back, the moderator will formulate conclusions.