Can cities fight climate change simply by bringing nature back?
As heatwaves become longer, more frequent and more intense, cities around the world are searching for ways to stay liveable. But what if one of the most effective solutions isn't new technology at all it's restoring what urban development has taken away?
July 27, 2026
In his globally awarded, peer-reviewed paper, Urban Tune-Up, Ridwan Noor from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology explores how cities can adapt to rising temperatures by embracing an “elastic city” model one that integrates green infrastructure into the urban landscape to create healthier, more resilient communities.
Noor’s research centres on Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities. Over the past three decades, the city has lost 66% of its green space, replacing trees, parks and natural landscapes with dense development. The result is a dramatic increase in the urban heat island effect, with temperatures reaching up to 10°C higher than surrounding rural areas.
Rather than viewing this as an unavoidable consequence of urbanisation, Noor argues that cities can be redesigned to work with nature instead of against it. His concept of the “elastic city” proposes an urban environment that is flexible, adaptive and capable of responding to the pressures of climate change through nature-based solutions.
The research highlights the transformative role of green infrastructure. Expanding urban forests, increasing tree canopy, introducing green roofs and walls, restoring public green spaces and incorporating water-sensitive design can all help reduce surface temperatures while improving air quality, supporting biodiversity and making cities more comfortable places to live.
Beyond cooling the urban environment, Noor demonstrates that these interventions deliver wider social and environmental benefits. Greener cities can improve public health, encourage active transport, strengthen resilience against extreme weather events and create more equitable access to outdoor spaces for rapidly growing populations.
Although the research focuses on Dhaka, its findings have global significance. From Dublin to Delhi, cities across the world are experiencing record-breaking temperatures and facing increasing pressure to adapt to a changing climate. Noor’s work offers a practical framework for how urban planners, policymakers and communities can rethink the relationship between cities and nature.
Ultimately, Urban Tune-Up reminds us that climate resilience is not simply about responding to hotter weather it’s about designing cities that are healthier, more sustainable and better equipped for the future.
