The form of cities and the form of their urban spatial elements significantly influence local climate patterns since materials, land use, and geometrical characteristics contribute to shape temperature, wind, humidity and air quality. Despite the significant advancements in understanding the interactions between urban form and climate, critical gaps remain in describing and analysing contemporary types of urbanisation. From this perspective, the phenomena of sprawl, densification and gentrification are creating new types of built environments, open spaces and forms of living. Reaching a comprehensive understanding of microclimate processes and their interactions in highly complex morphological conditions is a key challenge for informing climate adaptive planning and design.

This session welcomes contributions that investigate the local climate and microclimate performance of urban form configuration focusing on building, canyons, neighbourhoods or city scale. Theoretical, observational and modelling studies on the following topics are encouraged to be submitted:

• Development of morphological parameters or improvement of their calculation methods to describe indoor/outdoor urban climate performance;
• Development or improvement of morphological frameworks to classify climate conditions;
• Advancement in the analysis of UHI magnitude based on form characteristics;
• Innovation in qualitative and quantitative morphological approaches to better understand the influence of urban factors on climate processes.

Green, blue and brown infrastructures (GBBI) play a critical role in urban climate adaptation to mitigate the effects of climate change in cities. While cities are increasingly vulnerable to rising temperatures, flooding, and other climate-related challenges, integrating and regenerating green spaces (vegetation, parks) through healthy soils, and blue spaces (water bodies, wetlands) into urban environments helps reduce these risks while enhancing biodiversity, improving air and water quality, and increasing resilience. Despite the benefits of GBI being well-recognized, there are still considerable challenges in their practical implementation, scalability, and integration into urban planning frameworks. Many cities face constraints such as limited land availability, insufficient funding, and the need for a systems-based approach that encourages multidisciplinary collaboration to fully leverage these natural systems for climate adaptation. Additionally, measuring the long-term performance and impacts of GBBI remains a major challenge, making it difficult for cities to assess their effectiveness over time and refine strategies accordingly.

This session welcomes studies that explore innovative approaches to designing, implementing, and managing GBI in urban environments. Studies that address the sponge city and urban forestry concepts are also welcome. We seek contributions that advance theoretical knowledge, propose practical solutions, and provide case studies on the effectiveness of these infrastructures. Among the topics encouraged to be submitted are:

• Nature-based solutions and strategies for flood control and temperature regulation
• Tools and methods for measuring and modelling the climate performances of GBBI
• Policy and governance frameworks for GBBI integration
• Community involvement and co-design of green, blue and brown spaces and infrastructures
• Monitoring and assessing the impacts of GBBI

In urban environments, the risk for ecosystems and people generated by climate hazards, exposure and vulnerability continue to increase due to climate change (IPCC,2022). The resilience of urbanised areas is directly linked to their ability to cope with rising temperatures, increased flooding, and other climate-related stresses. Urban planners and designers must implement strategies that not only mitigate these impacts but also enhance the quality of life for human and non-human species. Although significant advancements have been made in climate-responsive urban design, many cities still struggle to integrate effective adaptation measures into their long-term planning frameworks. Gaps remain in understanding how to scale solutions, integrate them into diverse urban contexts, and balance the needs of rapidly growing populations with environmental sustainability.

This session explores adaptation to changing climate conditions through design and planning. We welcome research focusing on strategies and solutions at the urban, neighbourhood and building scale that foster climate-responsive cities. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Theoretical and policy frameworks for climate adaptation;
• Adaptation strategies and solutions, including planning and design guidelines;
• Solutions addressing projected global warming levels, climate change pathways or different timeframes;
• Tools and technologies for assessing climate risks in urban environments;
• Approaches and methods for assessing adaptation strategies and their urban climate impacts;
• Case studies showcasing the benefits of climate-proof strategies.

Innovative design examples from practice are critical to demonstrating how urban areas can be transformed into more climate resilient spaces. Despite significant advancements in climate-responsive urban design, many cities still struggle to effectively integrate adaptation and mitigation measures in ways that are scalable and context-specific. Practical examples of successful designs are needed to showcase how these solutions can be implemented in real-world settings and achieve lasting impact.

This session invites design practitioners to present design projects focusing on climate adaptation and mitigation in urban environments. We encourage submissions that address landscape, urban or neighbourhood scales demonstrating how spatial design principles and resolutions can boost climate resilience.

As cities embrace multiple transitions to address sustainability and climate challenges, spatial conflicts and synergies are emerging as critical issues in urban practices. Efforts to mitigate climate change, enhance resilience, and achieve sustainability often compete with other pressing urban demands, such as housing, transportation, and economic development. Managing these overlapping transitions requires strategies that can resolve conflicts while unlocking synergies to create more resilient and sustainable urban environments. While progress has been made in developing frameworks and decision-support tools, many cities still face significant challenges in balancing the spatial requirements of various sustainability initiatives. The overlapping goals of green infrastructure, renewable energy, housing densification, and public spaces often compete for limited urban land, complicating the path toward liveable and resilient urban systems.

This session welcomes research that examines the spatial dynamics of multiple sustainability and climate transitions in urban areas. We encourage researchers to submit studies that address multiple transitions and their spatial dimensions, focusing on:

• Theoretical frameworks and transition theories
• Case studies of cities balancing multiple sustainability transitions
• Integrated approaches for managing competing spatial demands
• Tools for spatial analysis of conflicts and synergies in urban climate transitions
• Governance strategies for coordinating overlapping urban transitions