Efficient Metropolises: Why Cities Matter

This short podcast is part of the “What Makes Us Human?” series, produced and created by the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. This episode explores urban centers, and their effects on climate change.

Cities have been considered a major source of pollution, wealth inequality, overcrowding, and public health issues. But Stephan Schmidt, associate professor of city and regional planning at Cornell, asks, “Are the issues we face really urban problems, or do cities simply cluster resource use and problems in ways that are especially visible?”

Urban centers do exacerbate inequalities. Localities also seem to be more focused on issues like job creation over climate change. Despite that, Schmidt explained, “cities are especially well equipped to influence individual behavior and promote good environmental choices.”

How so? Because where we live influences how we live, how we get around, etc. Cities can make more efficient use of resources by concentrating people, infrastructure, etc. “[…] By more efficiently using land, cities also decrease human encroachment on natural habitats, farmland, and wild areas,” said Schmidt. Concentrated setting can also encourage use of public transport, or biking.

Although larger cities produce more overall emissions, urban households emit less carbon dioxide than rural ones. Denser living settings are also shown to heat and cool more efficiently than suburban homes.

Cities are sites of political will. While we associate the environment with untouched nature, it's where we choose to work, live and how to get around that have the most significant impact. “And that means that the ways we design and build our cities are more important now than ever,” Schmidt ended.