Bourgoin, Audrey (2024)
Evaluation of the Climate Adaptation Plans of Cities Against Heat Waves Using the Impact Logic of Municipal Action: A Study of Medium-Sized Cities in the “Warmest Climatic Regions” of Germany.
In: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Sustainable Urban Development
doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-8003-1_11
Artikel, Bibliographie

Kurzbeschreibung (Abstract)

Urban populations are severely affected by prolonged periods of heat, whose frequency and severity increase with climate change, and which are escalated by urban spaces, as they combine concentrated systems (such as vehicles, AC systems, and industries) releasing heat into the urban environment, and a high degree of sealed urban structures, which intensifies heat island effects and hinders fresh air supply. Municipalities have limited resources to face escalating climate-related challenges and they need to find strategies to employ their resources to prepare structures and practices for the consequences of heat waves. The aim of this paper is therefore to present a methodology to evaluate the current adaptation plans of cities to warmer summers to adjust their planning practices (plans, instruments, financing) to counteract future climate threats. This research analyses current climate adaptation plans of medium-sized cities located in the “warmest climatic regions” of Germany, with regard to the diversity of instruments used, their implementation status, and the degree of detail of the developed strategies (e.g., using the “impact logic” of municipal action). The diversity of instruments used is assessed based on the distribution of the measures in the main categories “Grey infrastructure (urban and building structures)”, “Green infrastructure”, “Blue infrastructure” and “Complementary instruments”, and their sub-categories. The implementation status of each measure is ranked on a four-level scale from “in planning” to “evaluable”. The “impact logic” of municipal action is also a 4-level scale, which classes each strategy between “Input”, “Output”, “Outcome”, and “Impact”, whereas “Impact” represents the most conceptual level of planning with its goal and “input” constitutes the most concrete level, with a focus on the resource invested. The research intends to provide insights into the current climate adaptation planning practices, which have so far been rather conceptual and planning oriented. Finally, the research intends to expand on the criticism that medium-sized cities must better define their measures to achieve previously abstract goals and implement (and monitor) the measures promptly.

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