The concept of biourbanism views cities as natural systems, but brings a data-driven approach to quantifying and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

To confront climate change, Australian designer Adrian McGregor calls for thinking about cities as part of, not in opposition to, nature. As Keira Wright explains in an interview with McGregor for Bloomberg, “With cities responsible for over 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, designing smart and sustainable cities is the single most pressing challenge in confronting climate change.”
McGregor sees cities as “spectacular living, dynamic systems that evolve with us” that should be classified as “novel nature” or a “human-modified biome” to understand how to increase cities’ resilience in the face of climate change. McGregor’s concept of ‘biourbanism’ “focuses on the urban organism, considering it as a hypercomplex system, according to its internal and external dynamics and their mutual interactions.” The concept includes an urban structure focused on “10 interconnected systems: citizens, economy, energy, infrastructure, mobility, technology, water, waste, landscape and food.”
Despite the focus on natural systems, McGregor also believes technology can play an important role in mitigating the impacts of climate change and helping reduce our carbon footprint. One example is ‘digital twins,’ “models that simulate a real city linked to real data that can enable governments to “undertake climate impact testing and also plan for resilience by prioritizing investment and infrastructure spending in the right places.” McGregor’s data- and tech-centric approach focuses on transparency and access to data as first steps in understanding and reducing energy use and decarbonization.
FULL STORY: Why Thinking of Cities as Nature Is Key to Fighting Climate Change

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Six Reasons Why Housing Is a Human Right
Is housing a human right? A law professor shares six reasons why it should be, from its role in protecting other rights to global recognition and U.S. legal traditions. As public support grows, could housing be the next right written into law?

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
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