Keynote conference.
Abstract
Cities are home to a high proportion of the population ; temperature, air pollution and noise levels are generally higher there than elsewhere ; and they are more vulnerable to rising sea levels and flood risks. As a result, health impacts are greater. What's more, these are often the areas where social inequalities are most pronounced.
Numerous measures can be taken to adapt to the effects of climate change, often more effectively or efficiently than in rural areas (by transforming housing, heating and cooling systems, modifying the albedo of soils and roofs, planting vegetation). High population density, which is also the cause of increased vulnerabilities and health impacts, can make it easier to implement actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the per capita cost of insulation is much lower for apartment blocks than for single-family homes, public transport benefits a greater number of people, and shorter distances make the use of active mobility less time-consuming in the city. So it's not inevitable that the city should remain the place where the greatest health risks are accumulated, and the city of the future could be the place where we invent a world that effectively combats climate change.
