K. Huang

Research

How the size and shape of cities decide their climate future. Four themes in the CLimate and Urban Environments (CLUEs) Lab: urban futures, heat, flood and coasts, and scaling and form.

01

Urban futures

How much will cities grow by mid-century, where, and what will that growth commit us to?

Open questions

  • Will infrastructure reach the places where the next wave of urban residents will live?
  • Which expansion pathways keep the cities of 2050 cooler and less exposed?

02

Heat

How does the way we build cities change who overheats, by day and by night?

Open questions

  • Why does nighttime heat resist the fixes that work during the day?
  • When a neighborhood is rebuilt cooler, who ends up enjoying the benefit?

03

Flood and coasts

Where does flood damage really land once we count building height and flood defenses?

Open questions

  • What is at stake in coastal cities beyond the area of land that floods?

04

Scaling and form

How much material does a city need per person, and why do larger cities need less?

Open questions

  • Which cities are over-built or under-built relative to their size, and why?
  • How does building upward change the material and mobility costs of a growing city?

These questions are open. Join the lab, or read the papers.