Preparing the city of the future for the climate of the future.

Cities and the climate are locked in a mutual feedback system that is becoming more important by the day. By 2050, 68 percent of the world’s population will be living in cities, and their energy consumption and consumer behavior will produce the majority of greenhouse gases. In return, weather extremes such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, and rising sea levels will put cities at risk.

The Helmholtz Climate Initiative is developing solutions for the city of the future. The participating centers are researching technologies and strategies to make communities climate-neutral with new technologies, such as solar facades for buildings, optimally utilized bike path networks, and the conversion of CO2 from the air into climate-neutral fuels.

However, cities also have to adapt to global warming. Therefore, we are looking for ways and solutions to mitigate the consequences of climate change – with less concrete and more greenery, with infrastructures that are adapted to extreme weather conditions, and with novel building materials.  

(Header: Unsplash/chuttersnap)