Why the energy transition needs a new approach to urban planning

Detailed summary

When I began my career as an architect, I learnt that the most consequential decisions about a building are often made long before construction begins. Its orientation,…

When I began my career as an architect, I learnt that the most consequential decisions about a building are often made long before construction begins. Its orientation, relationship with the surrounding environment, choice of materials and use of natural resources determine how efficiently it will perform for decades.

Years later, as sustainability director at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, I saw this principle applied on a larger scale. We were exploring how an entire urban community could be designed around sustainability, integrating clean energy, efficient buildings, innovative technologies and thoughtful urban planning.

Today, after years in international energy diplomacy, I am more convinced than ever that the same principle applies to the global energy transition: the decisions we make about our cities today will determine our energy future for generations.

This connection is particularly relevant as world leaders continue to convene in Antalya for Cop31, which began last Monday.

The messages emerging from the Leaders’ Summit are clear. Climate ambition must translate into concrete action. Energy security and economic prosperity must advance alongside decarbonisation, while resilience must become a central pillar of how we plan for a changing climate.

Türkiye’s Cop31 presidency has identified electrification, sustainable buildings and climate-resilient cities as key priorities. These are not separate conversations. They are fundamentally interconnected.

For too long, energy policy and urban development have been approached as separate disciplines. Energy policymakers focused on power generation capacity, grids and emissions. Urban planners consider buildings, transportation, infrastructure and public spaces. Yet cities are where these systems converge, and where the consequences of getting them right, or wrong, become most visible.

A city can invest in renewable electricity, but if its buildings remain inefficient, its transport systems depend on fossil fuels and its…

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