Abstract

In the sage words of urban ecologist Herbert Girardet, ‘there will be no sustainable world without sustainable cities.’ Similar messaging was advanced by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan when he stated that ‘the battle for sustainable development is going to be largely won or lost in cities.’ Sustainable cities can offer a diversity of opportunities to deliver good living standards that are uncoupled from high consumption levels and high greenhouse gas emissions. Cities per capita can be more efficient places to live than rural areas, and traditionally, the use of the public realm within cities can help create new civic imaginings and a new social order focused on climate action for adaptation, mitigation and sustainable behaviours.  Just Cities Hub encapsulates a combined concern for embracing the challenges of climate action and promoting stable, just, and healthy urban environments. The project is led by a multidisciplinary team at University College Cork and started 31-March-2024 and will run for four years.