
13: Urban Areas
Urban Areas describes Southwestern cities—focusing on the large metropolitan areas of Albuquerque, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City—and shows how these regions will contribute to and be affected by climate changes, such as through their “urban metabolisms”—the flows of water, energy, materials, and other resources—and how to minimize the negative effects.
Citation:
Pincetl, S., G. Franco, N. B. Grimm, T. S. Hogue, S. Hughes, E. Pardyjak, A. M. Kinoshita, and P. Jantz. 2013. “Urban Areas.” In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment, edited by G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, 267–296. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.

The unique characteristics of Southwest cities will shape the ways they will be affected by climate change and the ways they will adapt.

The impacts of climate change on Southwest cities will be largely centered on water scarcity, flooding, wildfires, and extreme temperatures.

Cities are likely to experience more high-temperature days, creating vulnerabilities for persons who lack access to air conditioning.
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