POROUS CITY
LAB
ABOUT THE LAB
BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE THROUGH INCLUSIVE DESIGN
Southeast Asia is increasingly exposed to severe and compounding climate risks, including land subsidence, coastal inundation, and the progressive erosion of rural livelihoods under conditions of extreme climate variability. These dynamics place ecosystems, local economies, and communities under escalating stress, while existing planning and governance frameworks remain largely centralized, sectorally fragmented, and insufficiently responsive to systemic change.
ABOUT THE LAB
LEARN FROM THE CITY, LEARN FROM THE GROUND
The resulting challenges extend beyond climate impacts alone and reflect deeper structural constraints. These include limited capacity for integrated and interdisciplinary planning, a shortage of professionals trained in systems-based and participatory approaches, and restricted mechanisms for cross-border knowledge exchange and learning. Together, these limitations undermine the ability of communities and institutions to anticipate, adapt to, and transform in response to climate uncertainty.
In this context, there is an urgent need for platforms that strengthen local capacities, foster inclusive planning processes, and bridge local knowledge with global expertise. Porous City Lab is conceived as a response to this need.
BUT CLIMATE IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM
BROKEN SYSTEM PRODUCES
DESIGNERS WHO CAN’T FIX THEM
