The greenhouse gas assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have largely neglected the role of urbanization in climate change, because they analyze emissions by sectors (e.g., energy, transportation) rather than locations. Yet urban areas are pivotal in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, and urban planning is an essential tool to achieve more sustainable urbanization. Sustainable planning strategies range in scale from the metropolis level (such as condensing development and making transit efficient) to the building level (such as energy-efficient building codes).

Still, there are major obstacles to sustainable urban growth management and serious challenges for planners attempting to devise climate change adaptations. Professor Hilda Blanco, research professor at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development and interim director of USC's Center for Sustainable Cities, will review urban efforts to address climate change, discussing the obstacles and challenges. She will conclude with a discussion of international issues affecting the capacity of urban planning to mitigate and adapt urban areas to climate change.

Professor James A. Kushner will act as discussant.