Placemaking for a changing climate

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the relationship between placemaking, active transportation, and climate change. As planners and placemakers, we often talk about creating public spaces that are comfortable and inviting for people to spend time in. Separately, we talk about creating infrastructure that makes it possible to get to these places by walking, cycling, or transit. But what if we merged these questions? I think they are part of the same design problem.

A beautiful plaza does not do much for someone who has to cross an unshaded or busy street to get there. A great bike route might not be used if there is nowhere to stop for a break or get shade along the way. Nature can make a place more enjoyable to spend time in, and it can also make the journey to that place more resilient to changing climatic conditions. 

When designing spaces for people, do we need to start thinking more about the interconnectedness of places to be and places to move through? What would our communities look like if we designed the journey and the destination concurrently? Seeing this as part of a whole system, rather than sourcing these roles to different departments.

A recent systematic review by Rahmani, et al. (2026) states, “microclimatic conditions are often insufficiently integrated into transport planning and design.” Rahmani, et al. (2026) also mention, “the potential for combining urban heat mitigation measures with active transport infrastructure to enhance both thermal comfort and mobility remains largely untapped.” In my anecdotal evidence, this is further challenged by placemaking efforts in urban spaces.

I'm increasingly interested in this intersection, and how we can future plan for spaces that consider changing climates. It feels like there is a lot more to explore here. I would love to hear what research or work other folks have done in this space. Reach out!