The Design Imperative: Adapting Homes and Communities to Mitigate Climate Risks

The construction industry’s shift toward zero carbon is rife with contradiction, compromise and hard choices. Why? Because carbon is everywhere, from the materials that make up our buildings to the processes that regulate their temperature and light. So how can we build our homes and cities to both reduce emissions and withstand the effects of climate change? How can a revision of building codes, land use, the balance of aesthetic and engineering goals, and gray versus green infrastructure, among other things, help create a new status quo? And what could stand in our way?