Integrating Climate Adaptation: A toolkit for urban planners and adaptation practitioners

Sustainable urban planning policies, once in place, can reduce cities’ vulnerability to climate risks for decades to come. This toolkit, aimed at both urban planners and climate adaptation specialists working for cities, provides guidance on integrating climate adaptation into the practice of urban planning. It is designed to help planners to build a case for including adaptation measures when developing projects and engaging decision-makers, and supports cities in incorporating nature-based solutions and other mechanisms for reducing climate vulnerabilities to ensure practical, liveable and just urban development.

The toolkit was developed with input from officials from a dozen cities representing all regions of the globe, and is the result of conversations and workshops organized over several years.

This toolkit is available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

The toolkit covers:

• The impact of climate change on cities, and ways to adapt to flooding, heat, drought, sea level rise, storms and wildfires.
• An overview of urban planning policies that can be used to adapt to climate change. This looks at comprehensive plans, district-scale plans, zoning, incentive programmes, urban design guidelines and public infrastructure.
• Approaches to integrating climate adaptation into urban planning policies, by organising in-person or virtual workshops where city planning and adaptation staff can come together.
• A suite of nine case studies, providing examples from cities which have combined adaptation and urban planning. Each case study explains the initiative, who was involved, how it was implemented, outcomes and lessons learnt. A few extracts from these case studies are given below.

Adapting to sea level rise in Cape Town

While Cape Town’s coastline is one of the city’s most important socio-economic and environmental assets, contributing approximately 10% to Cape Town’s GDP, it may also be a source of climate change induced coastal risks such as rising sea levels and frequent storms. Cape Town’s Coastal Management Line (CML) ensures that spatial information about coastal risks and hazards is used to inform the location of Cape Town’s development, thereby promoting risk-averse coastal planning that takes into account climatic changes now and in the future. The CML also defines growth areas as a means for social redress, by connecting historically disadvantaged communities to the coast. The spatial legacy of South Africa’s unequal past still remains today, and the inclusion of principles of restorative justice has been a key consideration of Cape Town’s CML.

District-scale planning in Vancouver

Northeast False Creek Northeast False Creek is Downtown Vancouver’s last remaining piece of large undeveloped land, with 58 hectares, and is vulnerable to flooding from sea-level rise and storm surges. In November 2017, after gathering community feedback, the city created the Northeast False Creek Adaptation Plan, a land-use plan that both supports the redevelopment of the area through rezoning and makes it resilient to flooding. Measures included: raising the required building elevation of ground floors from 3.5m (11.5ft) to 4.8m (15.7ft), an enhanced seawall design, the integration of a ‘ribbon’ of flood management infrastructure (seawalls), and the naturalization of the shoreline (i.e. creating a soft edge with the water through permeable design and vegetation).

Adapting to flooding in Singapore

BishanAng Mo Kio Park The Kallang River in Singapore runs through Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Previously a concrete canal, it was transformed into a naturalized river that meanders through the park. This project was an innovative drainage improvement that increased the capacity of the waterway (thus reducing flood vulnerability) while providing a green space for the public to enjoy.

Adapting to urban flooding in Rotterdam

In the face of increasing extreme rain events, Rotterdam decided to develop a ‘water square’. The water square retains water during rainfall, easing the stress on sewage systems and preventing floods in highly urbanized areas. The square is designed around a community area, which during dry times is used as a sports pitch and recreational space for the community to enjoy and use.

Sources:

https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Integrating-Climate-Adaptation-A-toolkit-for-urban-planners-and-adaptation-practitioners?language=en_US