Local climate action has been placed in the centre of the climate change mitigation strategies globally and, thus, the need to understand it is increasing. Consequently, there has been a growing literature examining the capacity of local climate action to effectively contributing to reducing Greenhouse gas emissions committed by national governments to the international climate regime, especially in Western countries. However, little attention has been placed in the Global South context. This dissertation aims to examine the local climate action in a southern context, to determine how mitigation measures undertaken by local governments in the Santiago Metropolitan Region contribute to Chilean commitments.Based on governance literature, specifically a Multi-level governance framework, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the local climate action in the region. Employing mainly primary data and a mix of quantitative and qualitative, the dissertation analyses the case study and review the main challenges of local climate action in the country. Analysis of the data demonstrated that Chilean local climate action needs to strengthen its capacities to effectively contributing to the mitigation targets committed. The results suggest that local action faces several challenges that need to be overcome, grouped in four areas: resources, equity, measurements and strategic planning. Further research is required to examine technical aspects of mitigation measures and the application of indicators, as well as incorporate the rest of the municipalities of the country.

Exposure to excessive heat is responsible for thousands of deaths and emergency room visits annually in the United States. Due to climate change, Texas cities have been warming faster than the rest of the world. Within 25 years, the number of 100 F days is expected to double. Cities are even more vulnerable than the countryside due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. (Bielson-Gammon 2021)Adapting cities to this new climate reality is critical to ensure the vitality of public spaces and the health of urban dwellers. This major research project (MRP) evaluates the most effective means to reduce UHI at a neighborhood scale in a humid subtropical context. The MRP presents two massing frameworks and nine toolkit items that can be used by architects and urban designers to lower the air temperature and improve human thermal comfort.