UrbanShift

Urban heat is an intensifying challenge for cities. As climate change impacts unfold, cities are bearing the disproportionate impacts of the warming planet. And within cities, the effects of extreme heat vary widely and along socioeconomic lines. In more affluent communities, tree cover and more resilient building construction shield residents from the worst impacts, but in more economically vulnerable communities and informal settlements, lack of urban greenspaces and inadequate infrastructure, like steel roofs, magnify the impacts of heat. The challenges are great, but cities are not powerless in the face of intensifying heat. With equity at the center, cities can take proactive steps now to mitigate the worst impacts of heat and support health and wellbeing for their residents.      On August 13, join a dynamic webinar led by UrbanShift and World Resources Institute on how cities can take action against extreme heat. We’ll dive into data-informed approaches to assessing heat risk, and the range of innovative strategies and solutions that cities can employ to mitigate extreme heat, from green infrastructure to more efficient buildings to community-scale design.     Want to learn how to cool down our cities? Don’t miss this insightful webinar!  Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3SgSUYM Global Environment Facility UN Environment Programme WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities C40 Cities ICLEI

2024 is already trending toward shattering global temperature records, and cities especially are feeling the heat. To address this intensifying crisis, we need smart, nature-positive approaches to urban development more than ever. There's no better time to dive into learning best practices for a range of integrated and sustainable approaches to urban planning—and UrbanShift has the resources you need to begin your exploration. The UrbanShift Online City offers eight free, self-paced courses on the following subjects: Integrated Urban Planning, Nature-Based Solutions, Urban Biodiversity, Green & Thriving Neighbourhoods, Circular Economy Strategies, Accessing Urban Climate Finance, Accommodating Urban Growth, and Integrated Climate Action Planning. https://lnkd.in/e-tqSHuk Each course contains around three to eight hours of curated, science-backed content delivered by UrbanShift’s partner organizations — World Resources Institute WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities C40 Cities UN Environment Programme ICLEI — and leaders in the fields of environment and urban design. At the conclusion of each course, learners will receive a certificate of completion. We encourage you to visit https://lnkd.in/e-tqSHuk to learn more, enroll, and share with your networks! Global Environment Facility

¡Increíble ver dos ciudades de UrbanShift entre los finalistas! Aprende más sobre los proyectos abajo ⬇ Global Environment Facility UN Environment Programme Smart City Expo Latam Congress C40 Cities World Resources Institute WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities ICLEI

Efficient and high-impact: That's the superpower of UrbanShift Labs. Over the course of two days, we work directly with cities to identify and analyze geospatial data to inform effective approaches to complex urban challenges. Last week in Marrakech, we hosted a Lab with the city on how nature-based solutions and urban greening could help address the city's mounting challenges with extreme heat and water stress. During the Lab, "researchers, practitioners and managers were able to exchange knowledge and strengthen their skills for sustainable local action based on science and evidence." https://lnkd.in/gJ99qyrK Thank you PNUD Maroc for your partnership on this impactful event! UNDP UN Environment Programme C40 Cities World Resources Institute WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Global Environment Facility ICLEI Saif Shabou, PhD Bruno Hernandez Incau Matheus Ortega Gorka Zubicaray Díaz Karam Amzil Amal Nadim

Today, during the UrbanShift Lab in Marrakech, Morocco, participants brought the geospatial data analysis they’ve been conducting on green space distribution to life through a data-informed tour of the city. As participants traveled through Marrakech, they felt firsthand how critical tree cover and shade are to alleviating the impacts of heat and providing respite. They also observed that the needs and potential for urban greening vary widely across the city, and that nuance and creativity will be key to creating an effective strategy for nature-based solutions and biodiversity. 🌴 🌿   In older parts of the city like the Medina, high density and historical protections pose challenges to adding green space and demonstrate the need for innovation—could nature be integrated into the existing buildings in a way that honors the integrity of the historic space? In areas where the city is still expanding, there is potential to integrate plans for urban greenspace into development. But with the city dealing with water stress and extreme heat, there’s a need for careful consideration of the species included in new green spaces. Indigenous tree species that don’t require a lot of water, provide adequate shade, and can enhance biodiversity by contributing positively to the larger ecosystem could create the largest benefit to residents and the city as a whole. When considering the need to expand urban greenspace, the tour through Marrakech underscored that it’s not just a matter of the quantity of nature, but the quality of ecosystem services that urban nature can provide. Participants returned to the data analysis with a clear understanding of the city’s landscape and needs and ready to develop a context-sensitive greenspace expansion plan.   Global Environment Facility UN Environment Programme PNUD Maroc World Resources Institute WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities C40 Cities ICLEI Université Cadi Ayyad Saif Shabou, PhD Bruno Hernandez Incau Matheus Ortega Gorka Zubicaray Díaz Karam Amzil Amal Nadim

📣 NEW from C40 Cities 📣 Does your city want to create cleaner, greener and healthier streets? Check out our Clean Air Zone Toolbox 🧰 Our new guide to help cities implement ambitious clean air measures such as zero-emission areas. Clean Air Zones are specific areas of a city in which measures have been introduced to reduce toxic air pollution, prioritise people over cars, and promote a shift to active travel including walking, cycling and public transport. 🚴 🚎 🚶 The Clean Air Zone Toolbox contains three guides to support cities: ➕ How to introduce a Clean Air Zone in your city ➕ How to create an equitable and inclusive Clean Air Zone ➕ How to build public and political support for a Clean Air Zone Access the toolbox and begin your city’s journey: https://lnkd.in/g6mWCDHU #CleanAir #ZeroEmissionAreas #CleanAirZones

"Sustainable cities are the nexus where innovative solutions converge to create resilient communities, fostering a delicate balance between economic prosperity, ecological integrity, and social equity. With urban sprawl encroaching upon natural habitats and climate change-induced disasters becoming more frequent, which pose threats to ecosystems, biodiversity, human health, and overall well-being, the need for building sustainable cities has never been more urgent, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Amidst these planetary challenges lies an opportunity to catalyze transformational changes in cities – the Sustainable Cities Program." UrbanShift is proud to be part of this Global Environment Facility-funded effort to transform our cities toward sustainability and resilience that is now directing $480 million in GEF grant financing and nearly $5 billion in co-financing to 90+ cities across 34 countries. Read more from the GEF about the impact of the Sustainable Cities Program to date, and the significance of the recent approval of the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program. 🏙 🌿 https://lnkd.in/gcSQH_g3 UN Environment Programme World Resources Institute C40 Cities ICLEI WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Asian Development Bank (ADB) UNDP The World Bank

Cities are a system of systems. They bring together deeply complex, interconnected networks of people, services and economic activity — from how we move around, power industries, and construct buildings, to how we govern societies, finance climate solutions, use and consume resources, and beyond. Transforming cities to be efficient, equitable and zero-waste is crucial to a sustainable future. Although new data from #SystemsChangeLab finds that action is lagging and no indicators are currently on track to meet global targets, rapidly urbanizing cities also have a unique opportunity to decarbonize and reduce polluting emissions at scale. Learn more about how cities can reduce emissions and promote equity, public health and resilience: https://bit.ly/3VZQPD7

How can the city of Marrakech address its challenges with urban heat and water stress, while also improving equity among residents? That is the question UrbanShift is working with the city to answer this week in an intensive geospatial data Lab focused on urban greenspace expansion and biodiversity enhancement. Hosted by World Resources Institute in partnership with C40 Cities, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development - Kingdom of Morocco, PNUD Maroc, and the city of Marrakech, the Lab is gathering around 40 representatives from Marrakech, Agadir, Beni Mellal, Rabat, and Tangier, the national government, the private sector, and academia on strategies to use geospatial data to analyze current conditions in the city and chart a path forward toward improved equity and climate resilience.  Through the Global Environment Facility-funded Marrakech Ville Durable (Marrakech Sustainable City) project, the city has committed to expand and improve its urban nature, and this Lab is designed to support the city’s goals. With support from researchers from Cadi Ayyad University, we’ll be diving into the city’s data and exploring its green spaces to assess potential improvements. We look forward to sharing insights and takeaways as the Lab progresses. UNDP UN Environment Programme WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities ICLEI

⚡️ Global Environment Facility CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is appointed to a second four-year term through 2028 at #GEFcouncil67 in Washington, D.C. “I am honored to be appointed to lead the GEF as it increases and accelerates its support to countries to achieve global environmental benefits during challenging times for the planet and people. I look forward to continuing to implement transformative changes that will make this partnership even more integrated, inclusive, and impactful,” said Rodríguez. 🔗 Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eewSvNyk