Cities in Transition

The 'Cities in Transition' executive summary by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that energy and climate policy must integrate urban planning to reduce total energy demand. Using the city of Winnipeg as a primary case study, the research demonstrates that shifting from car-oriented sprawl to compact, walkable communities reduces emissions and lowers municipal infrastructure costs.

• Effective emissions reduction requires a shift beyond simply increasing renewable energy capacity toward a reduction in overall energy demand achieved through the redesign of neighbourhoods.
• Using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, IISD found that investing in public transit and active transportation reduces emissions and creates cost savings for city governments compared to urban sprawl.
• In Winnipeg, the transition to sustainable, complete communities is hindered by three primary structural barriers: outdated municipal governance, the high financial costs associated with car-centric sprawl, and 'Not In My Backyard' (NIMBY) opposition to infill development.

APA

Cheng,, Z. R. B. K. E.-H. (2025). Cities in Transition. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/cities-transition-urban-planning-energy-policy

Chicago

Cheng,, Zachary Rempel,Ronja Bechauf,Michail Kapetanakis,Georgia Exell,Yung-Hsin. Cities in Transition. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/cities-transition-urban-planning-energy-policy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cheng, |first1=Zachary Rempel,Ronja Bechauf,Michail Kapetanakis,Georgia Exell,Yung-Hsin |title=Cities in Transition |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 April 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/cities-transition-urban-planning-energy-policy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cheng2025cities, author = {Cheng,, Zachary Rempel,Ronja Bechauf,Michail Kapetanakis,Georgia Exell,Yung-Hsin}, title = {{Cities in Transition}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/cities-transition-urban-planning-energy-policy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }