Building compact, connected, and climate-resilient cities
Urban areas are expanding 50% faster than their populations are growing. Without changes to how cities plan and develop land, cities could triple in size by 2050, destroying millions of hectares of natural habitat and locking in unsustainable development patterns for generations.
The Land Use Planning Network provides a platform for 39 cities to accelerate the development and implementation of climate-responsive, people-centred land use policies. Cities share strategies, exchange implementation experiences, and collaborate on practical solutions across six focus areas.
What the network focuses on
The network is structured around six principles of climate-responsive urban planning.
Compact: prioritising regeneration over sprawl
Cities share strategies to reduce urban sprawl, preserve green space, and encourage densification through brownfield redevelopment (reviving previously used land), infill development (building on vacant sites within existing neighbourhoods), and upzoning (allowing taller or denser buildings in selected areas).
Polycentric: fostering mixed-use neighbourhoods
Cities promote solutions that foster multiple centres of activity and transform urban spaces into connected, self-sufficient neighbourhoods through planning regulations and infrastructure improvements.
Connected: steering development to transit nodes
Cities design and implement equitable transit-oriented development policies that encourage sustainable mobility patterns through planning, financing, and public engagement.
Risk-informed: managing development in high-risk areas
Cities embed climate risk evidence into spatial planning decisions, limiting development in flood-prone and extreme heat areas.
Nature-positive: protecting land for climate resilience
Cities advance strategies to secure natural land within and around city boundaries, including requiring new construction to provide minimum green or permeable surfaces.
Inclusive: mandating adequate and affordable housing
Cities exchange approaches to ensure housing is both climate-resilient and socioeconomically inclusive.
How the network works
The Land Use Planning Network brings together urban planning directors, zoning officials, and climate adaptation teams from 39 cities to:
Share implementation experiences on comprehensive planning policies, zoning codes, and climate integration strategies that cities can adapt to their local contexts.
Exchange practical solutions for challenges like balancing densification with livability, engaging communities in planning processes, and aligning climate action plans with land use regulations.
Learn from peer cities working on similar planning challenges, accessing real-world case studies and documented approaches that inform implementation.
Access collaborative platforms, including working groups and knowledge-sharing events where cities discuss policies, strategies, and challenges.
Cities participating in the network
Abidjan, Accra, Athens, Auckland, Barcelona, Bogotá, Boston, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Chicago, Curitiba, Dakar, Dubai, Durban (eThekwini), Freetown, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Lagos, Lima, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Madrid, Medellín, Melbourne, Mexico City, Portland, Quezon City, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Salvador, São Paulo, Seattle, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Tshwane, Vancouver, Washington DC
related
Supporting cities to create ambitious climate strategies that deliver meaningful community benefits.
Piloting practical approaches to embed climate action into the urban planning decisions that shape how cities grow.
How cities plan and design urban space shapes climate outcomes and quality of life. C40 helps mayors develop bold strategies, regulations, and projects that enable urban regeneration and growth.
