Leveraging digital enabling technologies for integrating climate adaptation and mitigation in urban design

Integrating climate change adaptation (CCA) and mitigation (CCM) into urban design remains a challenge due to methodological fragmentation and lack of cross-scalar tools. The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers transformative potential. This paper explores which digital enabling technologies (DETs) are most effective in supporting urban design scenarios addressing both CCA and CCM. A systematic literature review of 84 empirical studies was conducted, evaluating 12 DETs based on their capabilities in urban design scenario and climate performance. Results show that Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Cloud Services are the most coherent technologies for combining climate with design workflows. Conversely, widely used tools like Building Information Modelling (BIM) show limited capacity to support ecological or carbon goals. These findings emphasise the necessity of interoperable, hybrid DET frameworks to enable CCA and CCM urban design. The paper offers insights for practitioners, paving the way for digitally enabled climate strategies in urban environments. • A dual-index method evaluates DETs for climate adaptation and mitigation. • 84 empirical studies assessed 12 DETs in urban design applications. • GIS, Remote Sensing, and Cloud Services scored highest in integration capacity. • BIM showed limited performance on ecological and carbon-related goals. • Results support hybrid DET frameworks for climate-responsive urban design.