Cities and the Climate Emergency

In this video the Climate Emergency Forum focuses on the intersection of urban design, cities, and the climate emergency. Lloyd Alter, a renowned architect, urban designer, and writer, joins the discussion alongside climate scientist Paul Beckwith, doctor Peter Carter and host Herb Simmens. The conversation highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by North American lifestyles, specifically the consequences of large homes, car dependence, and excessive consumption on the climate crisis, and introduces key concepts such as “sufficiency” and “Goldilocks density” as pathways to sustainable urban living.

This video was recorded on July 9th, 2025, and published on September 1st, 2025, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

Lloyd Alter elaborates on his research and writing, emphasizing that addressing the climate crisis requires not just efficiency and renewables, but a cultural shift toward sufficiency—asking what is enough in terms of space, resources, and possessions. He and the other panelists explore the impacts of personal and societal choices, touching on food waste, building materials, intergenerational living arrangements, and how urban planning and policy can support more climate-resilient communities. Real-world examples from Canadian cities, co-housing, and European practices showcase both positive innovations and ongoing struggles against entrenched zoning and development patterns.

The dialogue also delves into human psychology, generational shifts in attitudes, and the importance of public policy in driving systemic change. The panelists agree that climate progress depends on legislative action and collective will, not just voluntary best practices. Viewers are left with a deeper understanding of how individual behavior, urban form, and policy incentives intertwine, and how adopting sufficiency in daily life can be a powerful lever to mitigate the impacts of climate change while enriching communities.

Links:

• Support Our Mission

• Treehugger

• The Story of Upfront Carbon: How a Life of Just Enough Offers a Way Out of the Climate Crisis

• Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle: Why Individual Climate Action Matters More Than Ever

• Quirks and Quarks

• Cities: Facilitating climate change action across built environment life stages – perspectives from built environment professionals

• Polar Vortex Collapse (CEF Video)

Special Guest:

• Lloyd Alter - is a prominent Canadian architect, urban designer, and writer known for his passionate advocacy of sustainable design and “sufficiency”-based living. A former design editor at Treehugger and author of influential books such as The Story of Upfront Carbon and Living the 1.5-Degree Lifestyle, Lloyd teaches sustainable design at Toronto Metropolitan University. His work focuses on making cities and everyday life more compatible with a climate-safe, equitable future, with a practical emphasis on right-sizing, resource efficiency, and transforming urban policy for the climate emergency.

Regular Panelists:

• Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University

• Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.

Video Production:

• Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: crowander.com

Image and Video:

• Image and Video Attributions