New report warns cities still unprepared for climate emergency
Published: 7 October 2025
UK cities remain unprepared for the climate emergency, with a stark gap between political ambition and real change on the ground, warns UofG led research.
A major report from Urban Retrofit – a new project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council led by the University of Glasgow - warns that UK cities remain unprepared for the climate emergency, with a stark gap between political ambition and real change on the ground.
Despite strong policy commitments, the report finds that too many new homes are still being built at low densities on the edges of towns and cities, locking in car dependency and unsustainable patterns of growth.
Drawn from a global review of academic literature and policy reports, the study establishes a broader definition of urban retrofit—one that goes beyond energy-efficient buildings to include densification, integrated transport, active travel infrastructure, and new forms of community-led development.
“Without radical policy change, political leadership and investment, it will be hard to scale up the actions that need to happen to prepare urban areas for the climate emergency,” said Professor James White, project lead at the University of Glasgow.
The report calls for stronger, area-based planning policies, new developer actors, and deeper engagement with communities. It also highlights the need for rigorous data and evaluative mechanisms to track what works at different scales.
Hannah Hickman, Associate Professor, University of the West of England, said: "This report shows that urban retrofit isn’t just a technical exercise—it’s about reshaping the very fabric of our cities. We need to think at the scale of streets, neighbourhoods and communities, not just individual buildings. That means bold choices about density, transport, and land use, but also genuine collaboration with the people whose lives are being reshaped. If we want resilient and fair places in the face of the climate emergency, we cannot delay."
First published: 7 October 2025