Integrating climate‐sensitive design with the local planning process is fundamental to managing the
warming trend in the growing high‐density tropical cities.  However, the current planning regime is
yet to address the challenges posed by local, regional and global warming.  An in‐depth
understanding of the interaction between the physical form and the climatic context is beginning to
emerge but, data needs and methods of analysis remain problematic at present to translate this into
practical planning applications.  In this paper, we showcase a simpler method of contextual analysis
using the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) system and draw lessons for climate‐sensitive planning in warm
humid Colombo, Sri Lanka and other data‐poor developing cities.