Singularity,specificity,urgency: “Crisis” in urban climate research

Abstract

This commentary reflects on the appearance of “crisis” in urban climate research. I find that it most often appears as a description of a new and singular context, as a historically specific event, and as an urgent injunction to act. I evaluate the pros and cons of such crisis framings, concluding that they tend to produce analytics oriented toward present uniqueness rather than durable patterns, on complexity rather than foundational causes, and political and policy action oriented toward speed rather than systemic change.