How the climate crisis has changed perspectives on city design

Architectural innovation will be absolutely vital to help us withstand life in a warmer world. What will future buildings look like and how can we adapt the ones that currently stand?

Cities are nothing without their multi-storey buildings and iconic, shiny, glass skyscrapers.

We’ve become accustomed to gawking at their modern, funky shapes (the Shard and Gherkin come to mind) and hardly hesitate to kink our necks to admire their height — unmissable symbols of an advanced and economically thriving society.

There are now around 25,000 skyscrapers dotted around the world, and while they might look impressive, many are questioning whether continuing to build these colossal structures is worth the environmental cost.

Already, the building sector accounts for 38 percent of all energy-related CO2 emissions and uses an immense amount of finite natural resources such as sand and water for concrete and glass.

Making matters worse, these materials reflect sun and trap heat — warming up the surrounding environment. Can adding to our beloved cityscapes ever be sustainable?