Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transportation infrastructure

The document outlines how urban transportation infrastructure in Alberta is vulnerable to rising temperatures and extreme weather, such as flooding and heat waves. It argues that resilience can be achieved through 'robustness' (using tools like the PIEVC protocol and green infrastructure), 'redundancy' (diversifying transportation modes and fuel sources), and 'resourcefulness' (engaging citizens via mobile apps and supporting shared mobility). The briefing recommends that Calgary and Edmonton undertake full vulnerability assessments, promote compact urban forms, and implement multi-modal networks to mitigate climate risks.

• Alberta's climate is projected to see mean annual temperatures rise by 2.0°C by the 2030s and 4.0°C by the 2060s if global greenhouse gas emissions remain unchanged, alongside increased winter precipitation and more frequent extreme weather events.
• Climate impacts specifically threaten transportation assets: flooding can erode soils, weaken asphalt, and wash out bridges, while rising temperatures can soften asphalt and stress railway and bridge joints.
• Robustness in infrastructure can be improved using the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) Engineering Protocol to identify vulnerabilities; the City of Edmonton applied this in 2007 to its roads and the Quesnell Bridge.
• Urban densification and the creation of walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods enhance resilience by reducing the total amount of infrastructure exposed to climate extremes and decreasing the distance residents must travel for essential services.
• Redundancy is increased by diversifying transportation modes and fuel sources, such as transitioning to electric vehicles to reduce reliance on a single gasoline-based system.
• Resourcefulness can be fostered by using GPS and mobile apps to gather realistic data on cycling and walking routes and by implementing car and bicycle share programs, such as Bixi in Montreal and Toronto.
• The document recommends that Calgary and Edmonton use 'build back better' principles for retrofits, implement 'complete street' designs, and explore green bonds for financing, citing Toronto's Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit as an example.

APA

Temmer, J., & Venema, H. (2017). Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transportation infrastructure. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transportation-infrastructure.pdf

Chicago

Temmer, Jennifer, and Hank Venema. Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transportation infrastructure. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transportation-infrastructure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Temmer |first1=Jennifer |last2=Venema |first2=Hank |title=Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transportation infrastructure |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transportation-infrastructure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{temmer2017building, author = {Temmer, Jennifer and Venema, Hank}, title = {{Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transportation infrastructure}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transportation-infrastructure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }