Due to the increasing risks from global warming, optimizing our cities to cut carbon emissions to zero before 2050 is seen as one of the prerequisites for a sustainable world. In response to this challenge, a number of world cities have declared a carbon emergency and an aspiration to achieve zero emissions, in some cases as early as 2030. However, there are no clear pathways towards this goal. Simultaneously, all cities were caught unprepared by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, testing their resilience to extremes. As the worldwide urban population is expected to grow to nearly 70% by 2050, there is an overwhelming case for improving our future by transforming cities into resilient zero carbon communities.
This Research Topic gathers an international group of researchers, designers, and experts to exchange knowledge on the complex issues of multiple pathways towards resilient zero carbon cities. Building on the insights from the
Pathways to Resilient Zero Carbon Cities (RZCC-2021) conference, it aims to consolidate the state of the art and establish a trajectory of the future developments in the field. This will influence successes and failures of future societies that will emerge in cities, on the basis of decisions made today for the long-term tomorrow.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research and Review papers which contribute to the aims of the
Pathways to Resilient Zero Carbon Cities (RZCC-2021) conference, held at the University of Hertfordshire in 2021. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Urban design innovations and methods for zero carbon
• Computational methods to improve zero carbon (analysis, design, post-occupancy analyses etc.)
• Innovation in teaching and learning for zero carbon design
• Human-Building Interaction (HBI) for zero carbon
• Human-City Interaction (HUSCI) for zero carbon
• Pathways to zero carbon retrofit of buildings
• Pathways to zero carbon communities
• Pathways to zero carbon transport infrastructure
• Developing resilience to emergencies
• Information technology in reducing carbon emissions
• Digital twins in design and management of resilient zero carbon communities
• New business and economic models
• Legislation and policy
• Social aspects and culture change
• Case studies
• Future projects
