July 14, 2025
Materials Matter: Designing the Climate Responsible City
By Constantine Chrisafis + Brianna Weekes
Building on the foundation laid by Designing the Climate Responsible City, this companion guide turns its attention to the embodied carbon locked into the materials and processes that shape streetscapes, landscapes, and other urban sites. The publication distills a clear set of principles for climate‑mitigative site design, outlines ideal material selection practices, and analyzes manufacturing methods and products that either minimize or actively sequester greenhouse‑gas emissions. Illustrated process diagrams and case studies demystify the path from traditional, carbon‑intensive techniques to climate‑positive alternatives. This guide aims to help engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, and builders the knowledge needed to specify responsible materials and implement low‑carbon construction workflows. It serves as a further catalyst for inspiring truly climate‑responsible cities.
About the GFL Intern Book Series
Cities consume significantly more energy and produce a disproportionate share of greenhouse gas emissions, making urban areas critical in mitigating the severity of global climate change. How do we get to the places we need to go? What volume of emissions is generated by essential services like fresh water provision and sewage disposal? How are materials – along with their embodied emissions – disposed of or reused? And how can community health and social wellbeing be prioritized alongside climate mitigation efforts? To address these and other pressing questions, Green Futures Lab interns produced a series of three booklets: Designing the Climate Responsible City, Materials Matter, and Climate Mitigation and Social Well-Being in Urban Design.
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