Resilient Urban Future
POLIS member IUAV discusses integrating climate adaptation into transport infrastructure to ensure resilience against extreme weather and promote mobility justice , highlighting the roles of automated vechicles, holistic urban planning, and collaborative governance in creating sustainable, resilient cities, especially in Mediterrean regions facing climate challenges.
An interview with Silvio Nocera, Federico Cavallaro and Carlo Federico dall'Omo, elaborated by Alessia Giorgiutti.
POLIS: How can urban planners integrate climate change adaptation measures into existing transport infrastructure to ensure resilience against future extreme weather events, while also incorporating principles of mobility justice to address disparities in climate impacts on vulnerable communities?
IUAV: When addressing the multifaceted impacts of climate change, urban and transport planners often fall back on rigid and compartmentalised approaches. These traditional methods fail to account for the reality that transport and urban planning effects on any given area are deeply intertwined. This interconnectedness becomes even more critical in the face of climate change, where the combination of sudden, extreme weather events and more gradual, long-term shifts requires cohesive, multi-scalar, and temporal strategies.
Climate change introduces a wide range of uncertainties regarding its potential effects, making the adoption of comprehensive and integrated measures to enhance community resilience imperative. Effective planning must incorporate a clear understanding of the short-, medium-, and long-term temporal dimensions of climate impacts. Additionally, the social equity implications of these measures must be considered, ensuring that all community segments are protected and benefited.
Higher education is essential for effectively tackling these complex issues. At IUAV (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia – IUAV University of Venice), we have developed an educational approach that integrates transport and urban planning disciplines.
Our integrated laboratories provide students with a holistic understanding of these interconnected fields. By merging theoretical knowledge with practical application, we prepare our students to devise and implement strategies that address the diverse challenges of contemporary societies, particularly those related to climate change.
POLIS: What innovative roles can emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles and electric mobility solutions play in enhancing urban mobility resilience in the face of climate change challenges, and how can collaborative governance models involving diverse stakeholders facilitate their effective implementation in urban transport planning?
IUAV: Emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and electric mobility solutions are pivotal for enhancing urban mobility and resilience under climate change pressures. Autonomous vehicles can optimise traffic management, reduce congestion, and lower emissions through efficient routing and vehicle use. Electric mobility solutions are critical for decreasing urban air pollution and aiding the transition to a decarbonised transport sector.
The effective integration of these technologies into urban transport planning requires a collaborative governance model that involves a diverse array of stakeholders. This model must include local communities, policymakers, industry leaders, and academic researchers to ensure alignment with the socioeconomic and environmental dynamics of each region. Engaging various stakeholders is essential for developing policies that facilitate the adoption of these technologies and address challenges such as infrastructure development, regulatory frameworks, and public acceptance.
Furthermore, collaborative governance supports the co-creation of resilient urban mobility strategies that capitalize on autonomous and electric mobility benefits. Involving stakeholders in decision-making ensures that transport policies are adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable, and are prepared to meet current and future climate-related challenges.
POLIS: Considering the interconnectedness of urban systems, how can holistic approaches to urban planning and design foster synergies between climate change adaptation in mobility and other urban resilience efforts, such as green infrastructure development and affordable housing initiatives, particularly in Mediterranean cities facing accelerated warming?
IUAV: Holistic approaches to urban planning and design are essential for creating synergies between climate change adaptation in mobility and other urban resilience efforts, particularly in Mediterranean cities experiencing increasing disruptive events. By incorporating climate adaptation measures into comprehensive urban planning strategies, cities can effectively tackle multiple challenges at once.
The first benefit of integrating green infrastructure into transport projects concerns urban resilience. Mobility corridors can become part of the green infrastructure, mitigating the heat island effect, managing stormwater runoff and providing shade for pedestrians and cyclists, improving the likelihood of choosing active modes to move in cities.
Linking affordable housing initiatives with public transit corridors can promote equitable access to transportation and reduce dependence on private vehicles. Placing affordable housing near transit hubs enables residents to easily reach jobs, services, and amenities, which in turn lowers transportation-related emissions and alleviates congestion. The dialogue between urban, social and transport policy is crucial for improving urban resilience and pursuing international sustainability goals as well as better quality of life for all social groups.
POLIS: With the Mediterranean Sea experiencing longer and more intense marine heatwaves, how might coastal cities adapt their transport networks to withstand potential disruptions caused by rising sea levels and the increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as storms and flooding, while simultaneously addressing the vulnerability of transport infrastructure to climate hazards like floods and heavy precipitation?
IUAV: Coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Adapting transport networks to cope with the extreme and severe events associated with climate change is crucial for maintaining the resilience of these systems. Resilience in this specific context refers to the ability to ensure the continued functionality of transport service even when crucial components of the infrastructure are compromised.
To achieve this, it is imperative to thoroughly understand how transport networks (e.g. road and rail infrastructure) and key nodes (such as stations, ports, airports and intermodal terminals) respond to such extreme events.
Critical questions need to be addressed: Which segments of the network are most susceptible to flooding? Can territorial accessibility be maintained if sections of the road or rail network are temporarily closed?
Gaining a clear understanding of these issues enables the identification of the most appropriate and effective solutions. These solutions should not be viewed as exceptional measures but rather as likely scenarios that may occur in the near future. By embracing this mindset and mastering appropriate tools, planners can design transport networks that are robust and adaptable, especially in vulnerable coastal areas like Venice.
POLIS: Given the significant impact of the transport sector on air pollutant emissions and its susceptibility to climate change impacts, how can holistic urban planning prioritise low-carbon transport modes while also ensuring adaptation to climaterelated hazards, particularly in Mediterranean cities facing unique challenges due to their climate change hotspot status?
IUAV: In Mediterranean cities, the implementation of holistic urban planning strategies is of paramount importance to prioritise the use of low-carbon transport modes and to mitigate the risks associated with climate change. Urban planning can facilitate sustainable mobility by designing efficient public transport networks and encouraging shared mobility solutions. To reduce reliance on private vehicles and alleviate congestion, it is essential to consider accessibility, transport interconnection, and urban space utilisation.
The development of compact, dense urban areas oriented towards public transport and the promotion of mixed land use has the effect of reducing the need to travel and encouraging a shift to cleaner and healthier transport modes, such as active mobility and public transportation. The expansion of public transport and the integration of active mobility and new technologies into urban areas facilitate this shift.
It is therefore imperative that robust infrastructure capable of withstanding climate stress, such as safe cycling paths, pedestrian zones, and reliable public transit systems, be developed. In order to achieve the desired resilience and sustainability, it is necessary to adopt a collaborative approach between local stakeholders and academic research, to enhance infrastructure resilience and align it with broader climate goals.
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About the contributors:
Interviewees:
- Silvio Nocera specialises in transport planning, focusing on externalities and global warming. He has widely published in major journals and, since 2020, is among the top 2% cited authors in Logistics & Transportation (Elsevier-Stanford University world surveys). An Associate Editor of the journal Research in Transportation Business and Management, he coordinates the IUAV Master's Degree in Spatial Planning.
- Federico Cavallaro is an Associate Professor in Transport Engineering at Università Iuav di Venezia. In the past, he was a senior researcher at Eurac Research and a national expert for the Alpine Convention. His research interests include transport planning, economics, public and freight transport performance, external costs, and mobility planning.
- Carlo Federico dall'Omo is a Research Manager at the Università IUAV di Venezia, where he earned a PhD in Architecture, City, and Design and currently teaches Planning and Urban Design. His research focuses on built environment managemnet and climate change adaptation. He co-coordinates the UNESCO Chair in Heritage & Urban Regeneration and is a Climate Ambassador
for the European Climate Pact.
Interviewer: Alessia Giurgiutti coordinates POLIS' corporate communications and magazine and has been involved in several EU-funded projects as a Communications Manager. She currently supports other managers and officers on tasks related to content production and communication for their projects. Her work focuses on making accessible and inclusive content about transport, as well as highlighting the experiences of marginalised users.