Accommodating Growth in the Global South

Most of the world's urban growth over the next few decades will happen in cities that don't yet exist at scale — concentrated in the Global South, where population growth is fastest and infrastructure is least locked in. Whether that growth compounds sprawl-driven emissions or avoids them depends on choices being made right now about housing and land use policy, as well as transportation infrastructure investments. Once made, these decisions produce long-lasting impacts for climate, accessibility, and economies. This panel will draw from the experience of urban planning, land use, and transportation experts actively working on efforts in the global south. This session is hosted by Gehl, the NYU Marron Institute, the Parking Reform Network, and WRI and is a part of The Urban Climate Solution track at NYC Climate Week 2026. View all events in the track at https://www.urbanclimatesolution.org/.