Cities and climate change / Harriet Bulkeley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bulkeley, Harriet, 1972-

Contributor:

ebrary, Inc.

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Series:

Routledge critical introductions to urbanism and the city

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Climatic changes.

Climatic changes--Government policy.

Urban ecology (Sociology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vii, 266 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2013.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges facing the world today. It is also a critical issue for the world's cities. Now home to over half the world's population, urban areas are significant sources of greenhouse-gas emissions and are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Responding to climate change is a profound challenge. A variety of actors are involved in urban climate governance, with municipal governments, international organizations and funding bodies pointing to cities as key arenas for response. This book provides the first critical introduction to these challenges, giving an overview of the science and policy of climate change at the global level and the emergence of climate change as an urban policy issue. It considers the challenges of governing climate change in the city in the context of the changing nature of urban politics, economics, society and infrastructures. It looks at how responses for mitigation and adaptation have emerged within the city, and the implications of climate change for social and environmental justice. Drawing on examples from cities in the north and south, and richly illustrated with detailed case studies, this book will enable students to understand the potential and limits of addressing climate change at the urban level and to explore the consequences for our future cities. It will be essential reading for undergraduate students across the disciplines of geography, politics, sociology, urban studies, planning and science and technology studies. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Climate change - an urban problem? 1

Introducing climate change 1

What has climate change got to do with the city? 5

Urban worlds and climate-change futures 9

Chapter outline 14

Discussion points 16

Further reading and resources 16

2 Climate risk and vulnerability in the city 18

Introduction 18

The urban impacts of climate change 20

Climate change and urban vulnerability 28

Conclusions 42

Discussion points 43

Further reading and resources 43

3 Accounting for urban GHG emissions 45

Introduction 45

Assessing the urban contribution to climate change 47

Urban difference and the drivers of GHG emissions 58

Conclusions 69

Discussion points 69

Further reading and resources 70

4 Governing climate change in the city 71

Introduction 71

Charting the emergence of urban climate-change responses 74

Understanding the nature of urban climate governance 91

Conclusions 104

Discussion points 105

Further reading and resources 105

5 Climate-change mitigation and low-carbon cities 106

Introduction 106

What is mitigation? 108

Making mitigation policy 109

Municipal climate-change mitigation in action 118

The drivers and challenges of mitigation 132

Conclusions 138

Discussion points 140

Further reading and resources 141

6 Urban adaptation - towards climate-resilient cities? 142

Introduction 142

What is adaptation? 144

Making adaptation policy 150

Municipal climate-change adaptation in practice 163

Drivers and barriers for urban climate-change adaptation 179

Conclusions 187

Discussion points 188

Further reading and resources 188

7 Climate-change experiments and alternatives in the city 190

Introduction 190

Sowing the seeds of change? 192

Experiments in practice 200

Alternatives: moving beyond the mainstream? 215

Conclusions 226

Discussion points 227

Further reading and resources 227

8 Conclusions 229

Changing climate, changing cities? 230

Urban futures: towards climate justice? 235.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. Available via World Wide Web.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

0203077202

9780203077207

Publisher Number:

99951652721

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.