Note that if you purchase something via one of our links, including Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
Whether our made environment is easy or hard on the planet, that’s how it’s been designed. So let’s rethink it.
The first message we’re conveying to people is that individual actions count, they're important. But if you look at a bigger picture, we need to consider system-level transitions to really make our low-carbon future come true.
– Yunfei Li, PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability
Dear Reader,
We forget that everything around us — a neighborhood, a parking lot, a bike lane (or the lack of one) — is that way because it was designed that way. Transit stinks and more of us drive? Designed that way. A park draws people to linger under the trees, along the river, by the pond? Also designed that way. If we want people to adopt more planet-friendly habits, in other words, we need to focus on design, on urban planning.
That’s the thinking behind Urban Future Walks, in-person and virtual tours created by Yunfei Li as part of her research at the University of British Columbia. Li has taught hundreds of participants about green infrastructure, from climate-adapted architecture to green transit systems, turning what could be doom-and-gloom material into something interactive enough to — as the CBC put it — spark conversation instead of anxiety.
Her takeaway, echoed in today’s quote: individual actions matter, but systems-level change is what enables, accelerates, and amplifies more climate-conscious behavior. Next time you’re out, notice how easy or hard it is to get around your neighborhood on foot or bike, how much space goes to car parking, how much rain a sidewalk absorbs versus sheds — and remind yourself: It was designed that way. Which means it can be redesigned to better reflect our desire for positive change, too.
Systematically,
Dot
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
