The Dynamic Cities Project

The Dynamic Cities Project (DCP) is a Vancouver based think tank working with governments, businesses, and NGOs to develop proactive planning responses incorporating the potential range of impacts from peak oil and cliamte change.

Based on discussions with municipal staff, local politicians and consultants there is an expressed need to develop strategies for cities and regions to quickly become less dependent on fossil fuels while also reducing climate impacts.  

Peak Oil and Climate Change

Oil depletion and climate change are unprecedented global challenges in that they are only addressable through coordinated global action, and represent a planet-wide threat to global health, peace, and traditional economic growth in a way that we’ve never faced before.

Additionally, as a consensus emerges that we are at, or near, the global peak in sustainable oil production there is an exponentially growing awareness of the magnitude of the potential threat coupled to a growing awareness of the near vacuum of public discussion and planning on the part of our governments and industries.

The process of crafting a coordinated response to oil depletion (one that accounts for the parallel imperative of addressing climate change) is likely to represent a watershed event in human history and one that will impact the lives of every person on earth.  At the regional and municipal level, we will need to change the way we do everything; from building our homes, to growing our food, to providing transportation, and growing our economies.

The time to act is now. Today, while energy is relatively cheap, it is exponentially easier to adapt our current ways of doing business and building cities than it will be if global oil production goes into rapid decline. Given this, it is critical that we begin to understand and address this challenge, and do it quickly.

Vision:

We envision a future where governments, businesses, and societies come together around the common goal of creating a dynamic city; a city able to quickly and peacefully adapt to the unprecedented global challenges of oil depletion and climate change. 

We're working to facilitate a peaceful and prosperous transition to a sustainable society by defining the risks associated with current trends and crafting pathways for positive change.

The DCP uses scenario planning, research, collaborative design, and educational outreach to assist local governments, municipal staff, community groups, and businesses in their efforts to adapt to the unprecedented challenges of the 21^st century.

Contact

Bryn Davidson 
bryn@dynamiccities.org
202-175 E. Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5T1W2