Climate change adaptation activities planning and implementation in large cities: results of research carried out in Poland and selected European cities

Abstract

Continuous climate change forces cities to take actions to prevent risks and adapt urban spaces to new conditions. The experience of many European cities in recent years shows that actions adapting urban space to climate change have become an important part of local policy. The subject of the article is the adaptation activities planned and implemented for climate change in urban spaces. The purpose of this article is to classify and identify adaptation activities carried out in large cities. The authors analyzed data from 44 Polish cities and placed them in the context of leading adaptation activities carried out in selected European cities. The purpose of the detailed research is to compare the number and type of activities planned and implemented on the scale of individual Polish cities, indicating dominant and minority activities. The authors conclude that with the passage of time, climate change adaptation activities will have an increasing impact on shaping the landscape of European cities, including those of Poland. Their number will gradually increase, as will the awareness of the city authorities and the activity of local communities. The types of activity will also change and, with them the quality of urban spaces and the quality of life of residents. The authors also conclude that further research will need to conduct quantitative and qualitative studies in the context of the effectiveness of the adaptation process in urban spaces, resulting from the evaluation and monitoring of both systematically updated planning and strategic documents and implemented spatial programs and interventions.