On a hot Friday evening at the beginning of summer, a notoriously hot season in Italy, France’s Le Monde newspaper hosted the very à propos event “Cities Milan: Resilient Cities, Resourceful Cities.” The conference is part of a series of lectures and discussion panels held in several cities around the world. It featured influential local and international actors in urban planning, politics, architecture and academia. The Milan edition focused on the theme of how cities can (and are already) adapt(-ing) to climate change. Held in the historic Triennale di Milano, the conference was followed by an aperitivo offered by Le Monde and sponsor Saint-Gobain, which provided an opportunity for students to network and discuss with academics and industry professionals. The following article summarizes the topics of the conference, with some insight in respect to their pertinence to the curriculum of the University of Milan’s Master of Law (LLM) program in Sustainable Development.
At the outset of the conference, Pierfrancesco Maran, the Municipal Councilor for Urbanism for the City of Milan provided opening remarks, followed by the PDG (CEO) of Saint-Gobain Group, Pierre-André de Chalendar. Both cited the importance for cities to adapt to climate change, especially for one such as Milan, which historically did not place much importance on green space. Recent plans unveiled by the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, call for more than three million trees to be planted in the next decade, as well as expanded public transport (with a new metro line set to open in a few years, and extensions of existing lines in the works), and new bike lanes and pedestrian areas in the center of the city. Maran mentioned that trees function as the lungs of the city. For its part, Saint-Gobain has become an industry leader in providing innovative construction materials, such as glass and doors for building facades that minimize energy loss and maximize natural light, as well as increasing the use of recycled materials for greater sustainability in building construction practices.
The conference then welcomed the evening’s keynote speaker, the world-renown Stefano Boeri, chief architect of Milan’s famous Vertical Forest (Bosco Verticale) and current President of the Triennale di Milano. Boeri’s work exemplifies the seamless integration of sustainable design principles in modern (or rather, post-modern) architecture. He began his presentation with a few, simple constats (findings):
– If all of the world’s urban areas were combined together in one contiguous space, they would occupy a land mass roughly the size of Europe.
– If all of the world’s forests were combined together, they would take up the area of Asia, or roughly one-third of Earth’s land mass.
– Cities are the primary cause of climate change, but they will also be the main victims of climate change, especially if sea levels rise significantly as predicted by reliable scientific models.
– Cities consume 75% of the Earth’s resources, while forests absorb 40% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the world.
Thus, Boeri proposes a possible solution to this conundrum, one he put rather simply: “Let’s bring the forest into the city!” Rather than urbanizing formerly forested areas, this was the idea that gave birth to his Bosco Verticale, a now-iconic landmark in Milan. However, this “Vertical Forest” is just one example of such a project, and there are literally a dozens of similar buildings in development around the world, either already built, in process of construction or designed and proposed. Boeri drew a comparison between Central Park and the impact of one “vertical forest,” each with immense potential to absorb greenhouse gasses, but also fine particulate matter and other pollutants. He stated that while Central Park contains an astounding 20,000 trees, this requires a space of 36.7 million square feet. One “vertical forest” building can provide up to 800 trees with a gross floor area of 16,000 meters squared. This allows people to live within a space that also provides a positive impact on the environment. A series of several buildings could double the role played by the trees of Central Park, and partially offset New York City’s emissions contributions to climate change.
Projects in other countries, such as China and Mexico promise quite ambitious goals. One such plan, called the “Forest City” will include only buildings covered entirely in trees and green spaces, with sustainability at the core of all design processes. Boeri mentioned that these principles can be adapted for local contexts, such as for the optimization of social inclusion, accessibility, “smart” city design, knowledge-promotion, etc. Each theme intends to comprise smart land use planning, ecological and social concerns, yet tailored for unique geographical, climactic or political contexts. In the future, many of his projects will involve affordable or social housing, so that all members of society can play a role in the ambitious visions proposed by his designs.
Boeri’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion entitled, “In the Face of Climate Change: How Cities are Responding.” The discussion was built around the premise that by their very nature, cities suffer the effects of climate change and population concentration faster than other areas. Chronic pollution, flooding, heat waves, security issues and other threats have proven significant challenges to urban planners and leaders. Thus, the panel attempted to address the question of how cities can adapt and resist shocks in the future, for instance via low-carbon footprints or less energy intense practices.
Isabelle Thomas, Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Montreal and co-author of La Ville résiliente. Comment la construire ? (The Resilient City: How to Build it?) spoke after Boeri. She mentioned the examples of New Orleans and a neighborhood of Montreal called Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. Both are located in flood plains, constructed at or below sea level, which leads to their regular flooding. While cities may appear to provide a sense of security, they remain vulnerable to natural disasters. Both New Orleans and Montreal are coping with these threats with a new method, known as “the multiple lines of defense strategy.” This includes the rebuilding of wetlands, including marshes, the reinforcement of levees, the improvement of building codes, enforced evacuation in times of crisis and a variety of other solutions to mitigate the effects of flooding and other disasters.
Next, Andrew Brenner, Director of Communications for 100 Resilient Cities joined the panel. He explained that his association seeks to connect cities that are working in a global context. Each urban area has its own set of unique problems, but often these obstacles are common to many cities. The goal of the organization is to incite each member city to hire a C.R.O., or Chief Resilience Officer, to deal with contemporary issues such as climate change and potential sea level rise, but also with chronic problems such as poverty, youth unemployment, and pollution, among others. The goal is for each C.R.O. to create a Resilience Strategy, to connect different parts of public administration, such as the transportation, parks and public housing directors with others; to have them work together toward achieving common goals through individual and collective steps. Sharing examples between cities, and especially from the global south and north, can help identify new solutions and accelerate the diffusion of knowledge and technologies.
As an example, Brenner brought up the City of Paris, which faces record levels of pollution and smog, among other issues. The City has decided to implement a plan called “Paris Oasis Schoolyards.” Most of Paris’ school courtyards are made of impermeable surfaces, such as a concrete slab with few plants. The Mayor’s Office has chosen a new direction, to add more plants and trees, to make permeable surfaces, to capture rainwater, to employ light-colored substrate, green roofs and other improvements to maximize sustainability and to reduce pollution in the French Capital. Beyond environmental concerns, the program also contains goals for social integration, by offering access to green spaces to both children and adult populations, an enhanced school curriculum, and the opportunity to create additional programs for social inclusion such as community gardens. There are over 700 schools in Paris, which once transformed by this model, will become new community centers, strengthening bonds, offering more social cohesion and (according to Brenner) hopefully preventing the threat of social exclusion and extremism responsible for the terrorist attacks of the last few years.
Brenner then answered the question of, “Why 100 cities”? He said that in the absence of real change on the part of national governments and international treaties, a new set of practical solutions to global problems must come from an urban level. Cities must function as a place where people can thrive, rather than simply survive. The floor was opened to questions, and after a few were asked, this offered a chance to mention the University of Milan’s LLM Program in Sustainable Development to the panelists and crowd of roughly 200 people.
After mentioning the program, I asked what the panel thought of the potential for national and international bodies to include a “right to the environment” among the fundamental human rights already protected in many constitutions and international legal instruments. Boeri admitted that the legal realm was outside his area of expertise, and reminded the crowd of the importance of trees and forests to any plan for collective survival. Thomas admitted that this would not be an easy quest, but said she is optimistic for the actions of several cities and nations in the face of climate change, as well as student protest movements such as that led by Greta Thunberg. Brenner did not share this optimism, especially in the context of his country The United States given its current leader, but applauded the efforts of cities around the globe to become more sustainable. In the end, no real conclusion was offered by the panelists on the subject. However, all acknowledged the fundamental role that national governments and international bodies could play in stemming climate change, if the political will for such policy change arises.
After the first discussion panel ended, a second panel began, entitled, “The Keys to Mobility in a Low-Carbon City.” Focused around the themes of “electric, autonomous, shared, [and] multi-modal,” this segment sought to create a more healthy city for pedestrians and vehicles to co-exist in the context of day-to-day mobility. The discussion was chaired by Sonia Lavadhino, Researcher at the Transport Center of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland) and Founder of the Agency Bfluid; and Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General of Polis Network. Lavadhino drew the comparison of individually-owned cars to umbrellas, because we use them when we need, and then we put them away until the next time they are required. They occupy space, but most of the time they aren’t used. Collective car ownership provides a new frontier to maximize utility and minimize space occupied. She also touched on new trends, such as “running for work,” which is growing in popularity in many cities, where the daily commute can be transformed into exercise.
Rethinking mobility requires changes in practices and habits. Lavadhino mentioned that many older people are not used to pedestrianized streets, so they will still continue to walk on the sidewalk in pedestrian areas. Sustainability improvements must coincide with education and public awareness, so that all members of society may understand their impact. She also mentioned the trend of time budgets allowing slower speeds to become the new norm. With the increasing use of autonomous cars, which can be “better behaved” than humans, the commute to work may respect laws and rules more clearly, rather than breaking them for the excuse of being in a rush or hurry.
Lavadhino also mentioned how cities will evolve as municipal governments eliminate parking spaces from city centers, re-appropriating the space that was previously dedicated to cars. She acknowledged, however, the threat of autonomous and electric vehicles to collective means of transportation. A new goal of Transdev, RATP and other partners has been to make collective mobility an “experience” rather than just to fulfill the necessity of moving. People will revert back to individual cars as they become increasingly automated, because automobile commutes will become thoughtless and automatic. Thus, she said the goal of collective transport must be to make unique experiences, so people do not prefer highly inefficient individualize transport.
The conference continued with a third discussion, “Building the Cities of Tomorrow with their Inhabitants.” This was hosted by Justyna Król, an Expert in Social Innovation and Urban Development; and Founder and CEO of Urban Workshop (Black Elephant), a Polish social enterprise that specializes in sustainable urban development and city planning. Krol started with the proclamation, “There is no singular future.” She said that we should imagine cities as a continuation of current paradigms, with many possible paths and destinies. There are different processes and trends occurring, combined with different technologies, that can lead each city in a different direction. Hence, when leaders talk to citizens and tell them, “the future will be X,” this leads to a sense of powerlessness.
Krol proposes a new concept: “Participatory Urban Foresight,” or P.U.F. Originally inspired by a military strategy from the 1970s, and later evolved into a corporate planning concept, this strategy most recently has become a tool of public administration. Cities often turn to experts to determine future trends and policy proposals. P.U.F. posits to replace the experts by local inhabitants. She said that different formats of this model may be required based on the different actors involved. Generally business people prefer one-on-one meetings, while community groups or schools may prefer a larger, collective format. The goal is to include citizens in the planning process, from early theoretical stages to final decision-making, in order to maximize community members’ agency and engagement throughout the process.
Nearing the end of the conference, another panel discussed the topic of “How can we Cool Cities”? As a pretext, during heat waves, the accumulation of heat in cities far outpaces that of the countryside. Piero Pelizzaro, Chief Resilience Officer of the City of Milan, and Emmanuel Normant, Vice President of Sustainable Development for Saint-Gobain addressed these concerns. Pelizzaro showed a picture of Singapore at the height of a summer heat wave. Thermal imaging showed how heat created by human activity appeared in warm colors: bright yellows, oranges and reds concentrated around buildings, while trees and parks appeared in a dark blue hue. The temperature difference can sometimes surpass the double digits between surfaces of the built environment and natural spaces. Pelizzaro reminded the audience that when we cool the inside of a building, we heat the outside both directly and indirectly: Air conditioners generate thermal heat, and also greenhouse gas emissions through their consumption of electricity.
Masdar City, a planned urban development project outside of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, was mentioned as an example of cooling potential. In Masdar, every building has been designed to increase ventilation, while relying on solar energy and other renewable sources for the city’s electricity. In Masdar and other cities, the old paradigm of warm roofs can be converted into cool roofs via color choices. Choosing a lighter color can allow for the reflection of up to 80% of sunlight, rather than the 20% of sunlight usually reflected by darker colored roofs.
Finally, a conclusion to the conference was given by “Key Witness” Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council (W.G.B.C). The Council represents 73 building councils around the world, which work together to create objectives and share impacts. Via the Council’s website (www.WGBC.org), practical applications are available for how to retrofit every type of building to be carbon neutral, and even to contribute toward the fight against climate change. Already 23 cities have aligned with the WGBC’s sustainability vision, including many in Europe. Gamboa also explained that the European Commission is working on a new tool called Levels, which will help gauge the impacts of buildings on both the environment and human health. Given the advanced age of many of its cities, currently 97% of European buildings are considered energy inefficient. Gamboa claimed the retrofitting of these buildings presents a challenge that Europe must confront if it wishes to become sustainable. In Italy, Padova has already committed to new projects at a district level that have proven effective in tackling this challenge.
She continued on the importance of reconnecting good design and decision-making to urban policy. Cities must be responsible for their interactions with rural areas. Solutions must be inspired by nature, but also intended to close the loops of sustainability that are missing. Circular cities must include buildings that promote health, both of humans and the environment. The insurance sector, because of the threat of climate change, will be a major force in altering patterns of construction and development, because risky investments simply will become impossible to insure.
In the end, Gamboa claimed the protection of the environment as a new human right, echoing the sentiment of the first discussion panel. She cited the fact that China will triple its built environment by 2050, and India will double its own. However, in both cases, sustainable development will play a key role, because even in developing countries it has become a central tenet of architecture and city planning. Milan will contribute to the battle against climate change with a zero greenhouse gas emissions goal for the city center by 2030. Gamboa stated that city leaders can make some of the most cost-effective changes to halt climate change, both in Milan and around the world. She believes that sustainable buildings and infrastructure, along with changes in consumer choices, new technologies and other innovations in transportation and related fields. will help us change the collective destiny of humanity.
In a day and age when most scientific articles on climate change reference depressing and fatalistic statistics, Le Monde Cities: Milan provided an inspirational breath of fresh air. Can the evolution of technology and sustainable revolution in urban planning, construction and transportation combine to limit climate change, even in the face of a lack of action in national and international contexts? Only the future will provide the answer, and only imagination can limit the potential of humanity to affront its biggest collective challenge.
