9 KEY INSIGHTS TO AS A URBAN PLANNING TOOL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that urban planning, specifically the creation of "complete communities," is an underutilized tool for reducing energy consumption and emissions, particularly in North America's car-centric cities.

• The development of "complete communities"—characterized by high-density, mixed-use neighbourhoods, efficient public transportation, and environments supporting walking and cycling—is presented as a method to reduce emissions and energy consumption by bringing homes, jobs, and services closer together.
• In Winnipeg, the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool indicates that investing in walking, cycling, and transit infrastructure is economically beneficial, with every dollar spent promising over 5 dollars in benefits via better air quality, fewer traffic accidents, and higher revenues.
• Urban planners in North America face three primary barriers when attempting to move away from urban sprawl and car-centric development: constrained public budgets caused by sprawl costs, flawed municipal governance systems, and opposition from NIMBY groups.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). 9 KEY INSIGHTS TO AS A URBAN PLANNING TOOL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-04/urban-planning-tool-climate-change.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. 9 KEY INSIGHTS TO AS A URBAN PLANNING TOOL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-04/urban-planning-tool-climate-change.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=9 KEY INSIGHTS TO AS A URBAN PLANNING TOOL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-04/urban-planning-tool-climate-change.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndkey, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{9 KEY INSIGHTS TO AS A URBAN PLANNING TOOL TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-04/urban-planning-tool-climate-change.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }