Designing Arid Cities: Cope, Embrace, Reverse

In recent decades, climate change has caused an increase in dry landscapes. These landscapes are reaching and entering urban environments, causing heat islands, drylands, and unhealthy environment for the urban inhabitants. The acceptance of this ongoing trend will lead to a suffering urban population and loss of life. The city has, so far, not yet been seen as the playground for transforming arid cityscapes into attractive and livable places. Three strategies have been identified to deal with and act on the increase in dry urban conditions. First, cope with the circumstances, e.g., create safe havens for urban inhabitants to survive the heat and drought. Second, embrace the dry conditions by welcoming and integrating the drought in species, xeriscapes, and culture in the urban context. And finally, reverse the dry conditions by implementing forests and wetlands that can reduce the temperatures and provide humidity. These three strategies shall be used in combination and in parallel.