Climate change is one of the most critical and complex challenges facing communities worldwide. Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) continue to emphasize both the role played by the built environment in causing climate change, as well as the considerable potential offered by innovative and forward-looking designs of systems, buildings, and cities in achieving the dual objectives of climate change mitigation and adaptation.1 Effective responses to climate change are not limited to those addressing the environmental performance of buildings and communities. We must also understand the socioeconomic, cultural, and political performances associated with these buildings and communities. These responses need to extend beyond individual solutions and identify the needed systemic changes in education and practice, which will allow for achieving the large-scale impacts required to effectively meet the current magnitude of the climate challenges we face.
