Designing for a changing climate: carbon conscious places

We are working closely with communities and local authorities across Scotland who are designing carbon conscious places.

An architectural sketch of a high street and housing in a town centre with trees, grass and water running alongside it.

The climate emergency demands urgent action from us all. We need to work together to adapt the ways we live, work, play and move in our cities, towns and villages.  

We believe design has the power to achieve this and protect Scotland from the impacts of climate change. 

With the support of the Scottish Government, we are working with communities across the country who are designing for a changing climate. 

An architectural sketch of people walking on a pathway and relaxing by a river beside a town centre.

Our work with small Scottish towns

We are working with local communities to support place-based climate action in a network of small Scottish towns. 

And we are using this work to develop learning that can be applied in places across Scotland. Read more about our Climate Action Towns project. 

Learn more
A pencil illustration birds-eye view of a rural community along a river, showing green fields, and a cluster of buildings.
Illustration of a Scottish rural community in 2050. Image credit: Richard Carman
A colourful illustration of a wider region along a river, with wind turbines on the hill in the background and a small settlement in the foreground.

The eight principles of a carbon conscious place

The eight principles of a carbon conscious place support a holistic approach to designing and adapting places to reduce, repurpose and absorb carbon. They outline important concepts to consider when planning and developing places. Follow the link below to:

  • learn more about the principles 
  • see each of them action 
  • explore visions of Scotland in 2050 that the principles inform 
Read more
An illustration of a proposed climate conscious town centre with people walking along the waterfront, and others using kayaks and a rowing boat.

Case study: a tale of two carbon conscious towns

This case study focuses on two Scottish towns that are already working to deliver on the eight principles of a carbon conscious place: Dumfries and Leven. It gives some insight into the approaches being applied and a visual glimpse of possible outcomes. 

Learn more

Find out more

Our Designing for a Changing Climate report looks back at the first year of our work in designing for a changing climate, which took place in 2019. Watch the report launch here. 

Read report

Image credits: Richard Carman

Share your place-based climate action

We would like to hear from communities and local authorities who are creating carbon conscious places. If you are designing and adapting a place to reduce, repurpose and absorb carbon, please share examples of your work with us.

Share your work