Commentary Response to Savannah Cox's,“Climate Change and the Limits of Urban Thought”

Abstract

The link between urbanization and climate change is complicated. Cox's commentary piece is excellent because it pushes this issue wide open and brings forward fundamental questions regarding how urban studies and allied disciplines can best respond to the challenge that climate change presents to cities. The questions now discussed are whether some cities will suffer significant collapse in the era of climate change, and if so, at what point might it happen, how will it happen, and do cities have any recourse? To meet these questions, I argue that resilience theory and system transition theory are approaches worth considering to better comprehend these moments of change. These perspectives can help those interested in attempting to mount local climate action by aiding in the identification of early warning signs of impending shifts and by giving guidance on how to work pro-actively to promote better and more just outcomes.