UK cities remain unprepared for the climate emergency, with a stark gap between political ambition and real change on the ground.

The warning came in a major report from Urban Retrofit – a new project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council led by the University of Glasgow.

Despite strong policy commitments, the report found that too many new homes are still being built at low densities on the edges of towns and cities, locking in car dependency and unsustainable patterns of growth.

Drawn from a global review of academic literature and policy reports, the study establishes a broader definition of urban retrofit – one that goes beyond energy-efficient buildings to include densification, integrated transport, active travel infrastructure, and new forms of community-led development.

“Without radical policy change, political leadership and investment, it will be hard to scale up the actions that need to happen to prepare urban areas for the climate emergency,” said professor James White, project lead at the University of Glasgow.

The report calls for stronger, area-based planning policies, new developer actors, and deeper engagement with communities. It also highlights the need for rigorous data and evaluative mechanisms to track what works at different scales.

Hannah Hickman, associate professor, University of the West of England, said: “This report shows that urban retrofit isn’t just a technical exercise—it’s about reshaping the very fabric of our cities. We need to think at the scale of streets, neighbourhoods and communities, not just individual buildings. That means bold choices about density, transport, and land use, but also genuine collaboration with the people whose lives are being reshaped. If we want resilient and fair places in the face of the climate emergency, we cannot delay.”

A number of UK cities have warned of the increasing impact of climate change including Leeds.

The city issued its own report which highlighted the growing threat of heat-related illness and called for collective city-wide action to protect residents now and in the future.

It was written by the council’s director of public health, Victoria Eaton and warns of the link between hot weather and a rise in hospital admissions and deaths – as seen in the 2022 heatwaves, when an estimated 2,985 died in England during the hottest periods.

Extreme heat can make breathing harder and put extra strain on the heart, circulatory system and kidneys as they work to cool the body, with vulnerable groups – such as older adults, children, pregnant woman, people with long-term health conditions – most at risk.

It explained densely-populated, inner-city areas, where manmade surfaces such as concrete and asphalt absorb and retain heat, greenspace is reduced and tall buildings block airflow, creates a phenomenon known as the ‘urban heat island effect’, where temperatures can be up to 8 degrees Celsius (C) hotter than in rural areas.

Eaton added “Rising temperatures affect everyone but the health risks aren’t equal.

“People in our most deprived and densely-populated areas – especially older adults, young children, pregnant women and those with long-term conditions – face the greatest risks.”

Despite strong policy commitments, the report found that too many new homes are still being built at low densities on the edges of towns and cities, locking in car dependency and unsustainable patterns of growth.