The promise and perils of transformative urban climate policy in German and American cities

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Over the past two decades, numerous cities worldwide have proactively addressed the climate crisis, driven by diverse motivations and strategies. Building on the climate urbanism literature’s modes of reactive, entrepreneurial, and transformative strategies, we focus on transformative climate urbanism, which emphasizes systemic changes in transportation, energy, and building sectors, prioritizing justice and equity. This approach breaks from traditional governance practices by addressing the root causes of climate change and prioritizing radical systems change. Using Hajer’s framework, we argue that the mode of climate urbanism cities adopt emerges from discourse. This study analyzes discourse in four cities in Germany and the U.S. using discourse network analysis. We identify key discourse coalitions and themes, as well as discursive barriers to transformation, providing insights into the dynamics of urban climate policymaking. Transformative urban climate action integrates diverse knowledge, empowers vulnerable communities, and reshapes urban-nature relationships. The findings highlight discourse coalitions that promote, as well as those that seek to limit transformative climate urbanism, offering lessons for other cities.