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This case study by GreenCape details the lessons learned from the first resilience analysis of the City of Cape Town's capital infrastructure portfolio. Supported by UK Pact in early 2022, the project aimed to understand how capital investments impact climate resilience by implementing a tagging mechanism in the City's SAP Project Portfolio Management system. The report identifies gaps in project tagging, the importance of a consolidated project database, and the need for increased awareness among project managers regarding how basic service delivery contributes to climate resilience.

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.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute examines the Lephalale Local Municipality's efforts to transition into a post-apartheid city while grappling with a legacy of private land and infrastructure ownership. It details how the construction of the Medupi power station triggered a population boom that overwhelmed the municipality's limited capacity, leading to infrastructure failure and the growth of informal settlements. The document highlights the municipality's dependence on corporate entities like Exxaro and Eskom for basic services and the role of the Lephalale Development Forum (LDF) as a parallel, business-funded governance structure.

This technical supplement describes the methodology used by RMI to analyze how state-level land use reform in the United States could reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2033. The analysis compares a 'business as usual' scenario against a 'low VMT' scenario where new housing is concentrated in dense, walkable, and transit-oriented areas.

The document argues that a new industrial revolution is emerging, driven by 'natural capitalism' and integrative design, which aims to increase resource productivity by 10- to 100-fold. The author posits that market-driven green design in human settlements—characterized by high density, pedestrian-centric transport, and resource-efficient buildings—can align commercial profitability with environmental restoration, potentially making traditional government spatial planning obsolete.

This report chapter explores the concept of "human capitalism," using the city of Curitiba, Brazil, as a primary case study to demonstrate how integrated, whole-system design can solve multiple social, economic, and environmental problems simultaneously. It argues against single-problem, single-solution approaches, advocating instead for a philosophy that treats citizens as a precious resource and leverages synergies between urban planning, transportation, and social services.

This report chapter outlines the 'Hypercar' concept—an ultralight, hybrid-electric vehicle designed to drastically reduce resource consumption and environmental impact. It argues that by combining carbon-fiber composites, aerodynamic streamlining, and hydrogen fuel cells, the automotive industry can move beyond the 'Iron Age' of steel-based manufacturing. The text further asserts that technological efficiency must be paired with urban planning and land-use reforms to reduce overall dependence on driving and mitigate social costs like congestion and sprawl.

This report chapter explores 'green development,' demonstrating how the integration of resource efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and human well-being can lead to superior financial performance in real estate. Through various case studies of commercial buildings, residential developments, and hotels, the text argues that intelligent design reduces operating costs, increases labor productivity, and enhances property value while restoring community and ecological health.

This fact sheet from Sustainable Energy for All outlines three strategic solutions for sustainable urban mobility and categorizes cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America into four types based on their specific opportunities for energy and transport interventions.

This report analyzes three transport and mobility energy consumption scenarios for Estonia up to 2050, with a detailed cost-benefit analysis through 2030. It compares a 'Business-as-Usual' (BAU) approach, a 'Low-Intervention' (VS) scenario, and a 'Knowledge-Based' (EE) energy-efficient scenario, evaluating their impacts on energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and public finances.

This guide from the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines a three-step strategic framework for cities to transition from fossil fuel dependency to sustainable energy, highlighting specific low-cost interventions applicable to South African cities.

This guide provides an overview of the necessity and implementation of a transport modal shift in South African cities, moving commuters from private vehicles to public or non-motorized transport to reduce carbon emissions and congestion.

This research paper describes a dataset of 14 temperature- and precipitation-related climate hazard indicators for 996 large cities, analyzed under global warming scenarios of 1.5°C, 2.0°C, and 3.0°C above a 1994-2014 historical baseline.

A case study by EMBARQ/WRI and local partners analyzing the impact of different transport master plan scenarios on air pollutants and CO2 emissions in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This guide by the World Resources Institute, developed with Johnson Controls, provides urban leaders with a framework and eight specific action categories to increase building efficiency. It outlines the economic, social, and environmental benefits of reducing the energy and resource footprint of the built environment, while offering a strategic approach to overcoming the "efficiency gap" through integrated policy planning and stakeholder engagement.

This research paper introduces a globally scalable, open-source framework designed to help cities map and quantify the potential for heat-resilient infrastructure. The framework utilizes a new high-resolution urban land-cover dataset called OpenUrban to generate implementation scenarios for passive cooling interventions such as trees, cool roofs, reflective pavements, and shade structures.

A case study by EMBARQ/WRI on Queretaro, Mexico, examining the potential for emissions reductions in the city's public transportation system through the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and network efficiency improvements.

This technical note describes a fully open-source modeling framework developed by the World Resources Institute's Cool Cities Lab to assess hyperlocal heat exposure in cities at a 1-meter resolution using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI).

This research paper examines how to attract private investment into Brazil's public transport sector by reducing perceived risks and aligning performance incentives, using case studies from São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) has outlined its Ethiopia Country Transition Strategy (2026–2032), which aims to catalyze a transition toward inclusive green growth. The strategy focuses on transforming three interconnected human systems—cities, energy, and food, land, and water—while strengthening the underlying economics, finance, and governance to ensure Ethiopia's natural wealth leads to shared prosperity and climate resilience.