According to the UN, cities are responsible for nearly three-quarters of global carbon emissions. One of the cities’ biggest culprits? The built environment. Pledges to decarbonize cities, including the built environment, abound. It is clear that the climate is in crisis and that we need to make significant changes—but how do we move past exploring ambitions and strategies to create a meaningful, achievable plan for cities to decarbonize?

Chris Wan, our guest lecturer, will present Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City as a case study in sustainable urban development. He’ll take listeners through a practical development methodology that balances passive architectural design, technology and innovation, renewable energy, and holistic master planning. He’ll also present a data-driven roadmap of Masdar City’s journey to net-zero with an overview of current challenges and barriers, as well as potential solutions.