Asian cities are significant contributors to climate change. Cities in the region are also hubs of economic activity, centers of financial capital and talent, and incubators of innovation and progress. The report offers frameworks, recommendations, and case studies to illustrate how cities could leverage their unique strengths and evolve their development models to concurrently pursue climate resilience, poverty reduction, and biodiversity protection goals.

Ashley Faith Santoso, from the Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, proposes a technological solution to improve walkability in Jakarta by decreasing gender-based violence. Only 8% of Jakarta is walkable, a situation that the Jakarta Walkable 2022 vision aims to remedy. But in a country where three out of five women have experienced sexual harassment …

Matthew Flores, from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, makes the case for greater indigenous representation in urban design. The essay critiques the homogeneity of urban settings in the Philippines and around the world, the result of ideas of modernity and development that are rooted in colonial norms. If indigenous people are given …

Rya Jetha, a student at Pomona College in the U.S., describes the importance of “sponge cities” as a climate resilience solution for Asia’s megacities. Asia is home to a disproportionate number of megacities, which are uniquely exposed to the effects of climate change. Sponge cities, which incorporate “blue” or “green” infrastructure like vegetative parks, permeable …