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Beyond Green Spaces: The Challenges of Sustainable Urban Planning
Azza Kamal wears many hats — besides teaching sustainable planning and urban design in 91¸£ÀûÉç’sÌýEnvironmental Design (ENVD) department, she is an urbanist, policy researcher, and licensed architect in Egypt with a passion for building better and just cities. Her work tackles some of the toughest challenges in urban planning — housing instability, affordability and equitable development — while incorporating cutting-edge geotechnology and a commitment to social and environmental sustainability.Ìý
What is sustainable planning and urban design?
Many factors affect sustainability — walkability, resource allocation, population density and the relationship with cars and the transit system. Sustainable planning examines how these factors intersect and addresses policy gaps that impact how and where people live, how they move around the city and the cost for all of this.
What is the link between social and environmental justice and sustainability?
Sustainability without social equity is a problem for everyone. It drives up costs — when we design and build beautiful, green-certified buildings, they often become unaffordable for large portions of the population. This exclusion can increase our carbon footprint, even as we aim to reduce it. Balancing housing affordability with sustainability is complex. We need to ensure we’re not just adding asphalt and concrete but creating livable, environmentally sound spaces that meet the needs of both people and the planet.
What’s an example of these consequences?
When there isn’t enough affordable housing near transit hubs and jobs, low- and moderate-income individuals often have to live farther from their workplaces. This leads to long, costly commutes, which can consume 60% or more of some households’ income while also increasing emissions. Everyone should have access to high-quality, healthy, walkable communities designed with strong environmental policies.
What is the solution?
Developers must be aware of community needs, supported by policies that ensure underserved populations benefit from sustainable, high-quality development. Both affordability and sustainability should be lenses for every project we build and every policy we create at the city and state levels. Otherwise, we risk solving one issue while exacerbating another. It’s complicated to advocate for these policies, but educating students to become thoughtful planners is essential. This is how we can move things in the right direction.
What major changes have you witnessed in urban planning?
For years, local governments have approached urban planning in silos — different departments working independently without much connection. But in the last 10 to 15 years, as we’ve seen more tangible impacts of climate change, cities have begun to adopt a more connected approach. Departments of sustainability are looking at the built environment from a holistic,Ìý performance-centered approach: how developments are shaped, how people move to jobs, schools, goods and service areas and how infrastructure interacts with sustainability goals. This perspective is crucial if we’re going to design resilient cities for the future.
What does your day to day look like at CU?
My primary role is teaching and research, but I’m also part of an interdisciplinary team addressing housing affordability in the Mountain West. When I arrived at 91¸£ÀûÉç in January 2024, we received a seed grant to model affordability forecasts for 91¸£ÀûÉç County. We’re analyzing data to understand what areas are affordable, how the housing market is behaving and the characteristics of households in different areas. This research supports future policies that promote equity in housing access.
What other policy gaps are you addressing in 91¸£ÀûÉç and across Colorado?
Colorado has made strides in emissions reform, particularly through policies tied to some typologies of affordable housing like ADU [Accessory Dwelling Units] and minimum parking requirements. But the state hasn’t yet measured how impactful these changes are and whether they suffice growing demand for low-cost housing or whether they meet the target emission reduction. That’s the next step — quantifying their effects. This spring, I’m working with students to study developments around transit hubs. We’ll analyze how reducing parking requirements impacts density, increases non-car commuting and reduces CO2 emissions.
What drives you to make an impact?
Justice for everyone. Developing according to the status quo might be easier and faster, and often more profitable, but it eventually harms us all. We must approach development with social and environmental justice in mind, ensuring that those who need affordable housing don’t fall through the cracks. High-quality, affordable housing should be the norm, not the exception. That’s far more important than flashy, high-end buildings.
What brought you to 91¸£ÀûÉç?
Colorado is known for its high quality of life, and the Environmental Design program is multidisciplinary, focusing on social and environmental justice. It’s one of the best programs for educating students on these critical issues. CU also attracts a high percentage of out-of-state students, giving it a broader impact. I see this as a privilege — I get to mentor students who will carry these lessons back to their communities and make meaningful changes wherever they practice.
How does technology fit into your work?
Technology is a powerful tool for planners. For example, we can use virtual and augmented reality to engage communities in urban design projects. When people see realistic models of proposed changes, they’re more likely to support them. This type of community engagement fosters trust and collaboration, helping us create solutions that reflect real needs and concerns.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Although my work seems complex and high-level, it’s rooted in connectedness — every decision we make impacts what we build, how we build and whom we build for. If we don’t consider these connections, we risk falling short of our goals. Teaching this can be challenging because it does not rely on linear thinking, as it involves so many intersecting factors, but I’m optimistic that multidisciplinary collaboration will equip the next generation with the skills and perspectives to make a real and lasting difference.
Photo by Patrick Campbell