■ viiTh e 5th Urban Research Symposium on Cities and Climate Change—Responding
to an Urgent Agenda, held in Marseille in June 2009, sought to highlight how
climate change and urbanization are converging to create one of the greatest
challenges of our time. Responding to this challenge eff ectively and sustainably
is a key objective for governments, authorities, institutions, and other organi-
zations involved in urban development processes. Th e World Bank, the French
Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, and
the French Development Agency were therefore particularly committed to the
co-organization of the symposium.
Cities consume much of the world’s energy, and thus produce much of the
world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Yet cities, to varying extents, are also vulner-
able to climate change impacts, with poor populations facing the greatest risk.
Th us, adaptation and increased resilience constitute priorities for every city,
and cities have a key role to play in mitigating climate change. Climate change
mitigation and adaptation in cities has emerged as a new theme on the global
agenda, creating a strong desire among governments, the private sector, and the
academic community worldwide to learn from experiences and good practice
examples.
Th e 5th Urban Research Symposium made an important contribution to
the growing body of knowledge and practice in the area of cities and climate
change. During the three-day symposium, approximately 200 papers were pre-
sented to more than 700 participants representing more than 70 countries. As
co-organizers, we found it very rewarding to have such an audience and to see
the wide range of topics discussed, from indicators and measurement to insti-
tutions and governance.
Th e symposium was made possible through the commitment and contri-
butions of a wide range of partners and cosponsors, as well as through the
Foreword