The 101 Words of Adaptation, for everyone's use

In France—as in all countries with a long history of urbanization and low population growth—around 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already exist today. In Paris, this proportion is as high as 90 to 95%... But how many of these buildings will be able to meet the conditions of the coming decades? Almost none.

Faced with climate change, demographic pressure, resource scarcity, and social expectations, the question of adaptation becomes central. How can we guarantee the comfort and livability of tomorrow? How can we develop cities without rebuilding them from scratch? How can we transform, repair, adjust, and reuse? How can we adapt consciously, methodically, creatively, and sometimes urgently? How can we finally pursue adaptation and mitigation strategies simultaneously—because we will not be able to adapt to a world that is 7°C warmer?

A mosaic of perspectives and expertise, this book reveals what adaptation requires today in the construction of cities and territories. Each word is carried by a voice: urban planners, engineers, architects, elected officials, developers, designers, public institutions, journalists, engaged citizens... For an embodied, transdisciplinary, and lively reading of this transition yet to be invented.

Neither a technical dictionary nor a dogmatic manifesto, this curious and committed primer provides keys to thinking about adaptation differently—in all its dimensions: climatic, social, functional, constructive, and ecological.

Each word opens a door to a key concept, an emerging practice, or a current tension. All of them question the ways in which we design, manage, and inhabit our environment. There are no ready-made solutions, but rather an invitation to understand, debate... and above all, to act. 2050 will not be built: it will adapt.