A Framework for Climate Resilient Urban Design: The Case of Porte de Montreuil, Paris

Abstract

With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events in cities, it is essential to develop multi-scale and multi-hazard design tools to ensure urban climate resilience. A designed approach to urban development across spatial scales offers the opportunity to integrate diverse fields to create a strong multidisciplinary knowledge base and avoid fragmented planning approaches. This paper proposes a process-based methodological framework for climate resilient urban design-integrating analysis of climate impact with concerns of local communities. A combined focus on climate impact and co-benefits enables a design process with the ability to promote adaptation and mitigation while also addressing diverse urban challenges and responding to local needs and priorities. The proposed methodological framework is applied in the context of the climate resilient urban redevelopment of the Porte de Montreuil district in Paris, France. The results show that the Porte de Montreuil area is at risk from heat waves as a result of the urban characteristics of the area. However, it is possible to suggest specific design measures that integrate local planning priorities with climate resilient design measures to decrease the risk and improve climate resilience in the area.