U.S. cities’ architecture, road layouts, transportation systems and other infrastructure were designed for weather conditions that are becoming a thing of the past, the Journal reported. Researchers and city planners are working on solutions to increase urban climate resilience and help cities adapt to a warmer climate in the coming decades.
One proposed innovation is the “self-healing grid” — an electrical system that uses artificial intelligence to reroute power during heat waves for maximum efficiency, according to the report. The AI would eke out extra performance to avoid blackouts as demand for air conditioning strains capacity.
A second concept involves transforming neighborhoods into “agrihoods” centered around working farms. These could be established on vacant lots, within city parks, as part of new housing developments, or as intensive rooftop farms installed on existing buildings.
A third adaptation strategy calls for a network of green corridors that would allow people to walk or cycle key routes in the cooling shade of trees. Navigation apps could point out the coolest commutes as well as the fastest, the report said.
The ideas were part of a roundup of innovations covered by the Journal’s Future of Everything newsletter, which explores technology and design trends shaping daily life. The report did not provide cost estimates or timelines for implementation.
The adaptation push comes as researchers warn that many U.S. metropolitan areas are approaching a combination of heat and humidity that the human body cannot survive. MSI reported last week that some cities may need to relocate entire neighborhoods as conditions worsen. While trees and permeable parking lots offer localized cooling, larger systemic changes to energy, food, and transport systems may be required to match the scale of the threat.