Climate-Smart City through Development Control

To ensure that new developments are located in appropriate locations, consistent with the urban design guidelines, have the necessary service and facilities, as well as consistent to the environmental protection; Development Control can become a powerful tool that urban planners use to manage city development. Climate Change adaptation and mitigation objectives can also benefit from this tool to prevent carbon-intensive development and enforce adaptation and mitigation infrastructure to developers. Upon permit application, urban planners can weave in requirement and conditions that order developers to pay for levy or demand for certain service or infrastructure that promotes climate resilience. 

However, the coupling of development approval process with Climate Change mitigation and adaptation alone may not be sufficient. For reinforcement of this process, UN Habitat advice local municipalities to also establish a compliance mechanism that monitors the compliance of the approved development with the conditions applied. This ensure that developer fully satisfy the requirements that urban planners demand throughout the project cycle from permit application to construction and even the maintenance of the development. 

Reference:

Urban Planning Law for Climate Smart Cities: The Urban Law Module of the Law and Climate Change Toolkit by UN Habitat