Urban Climate Policies Research Articles

Social values for biodiversity and carbon flow in cities

Abstract Urban green areas contribute to climate change mitigation, support biodiversity and host a wide range of social values important for urban residents. Understanding the interplay between social values, biodiversity and carbon flow in urban green areas is vital for socially sustainable urban climate and biodiversity policy, but relationships between the three remain poorly explored. We assessed spatial and non‐spatial relationships between relational and intrinsic social values, biodiversity and carbon flow, in green areas across Helsinki, Finland, using logistic regression and spatial overlap analyses. To achieve this, we utilized pre‐existing datasets on modelled biodiversity and carbon flow, and a public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey dataset depicting over 16,000 spatially referenced social values for green areas mapped by a sample of 3237 residents of Helsinki. We found that non‐spatial relationships between social values, biodiversity and carbon flow are value‐specific and diverse in terms of strength, shape and direction. Spatial overlap between priority areas of social values and those of biodiversity and carbon flow was moderate and variable across different urban contexts. This diversity was further nuanced by the result that urban residents of different socio‐economic contexts valued green areas in different ways. Policy implications. Our findings imply that successfully leveraging urban green areas for simultaneous benefits to climate, biodiversity and social outcomes depends strongly on the surrounding social and ecological urban context. Key to maximizing synergies and balancing trade‐offs between the three are inclusive and participatory planning processes that jointly assess the social and ecological values of green areas. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

CLIMATE‐JUST HOUSING: A Socio‐spatial Perspective on Climate Policy and Housing

AbstractFocusing on the nexus of climate and housing policy, this article analyzes the socio‐spatial consequences of urban climate mitigation policies and the resultant need to broaden the concept of climate justice. By using the example of energy retrofitting in a low‐income district in Kiel, Germany, the article examines cities’ dependence on real estate companies to reach low‐carbon goals in a privatized housing market and the (potential) need to provide incentives for investment. As the case study shows, this can lead to a highly sensitive confluence of climate policy, private real estate investment and neighborhood development policy, which leads to a higher financial burden as well as the potential displacement and further political marginalization of current tenants. In light of these results, the article argues for the application of a climate justice frame in analyses of urban climate policies that integrates housing justice with spatial justice. Specifically, it calls for the right to climate‐just housing; that is, for the right to affordable housing to be connected with the right to energy‐efficient housing in one's own neighborhood. This implies the right to information and to urban space as political space, which in turn means the politicization of the targets, strategies and, not least, spaces of urban climate policy.

A novel approach to work towards gender-responsive urban climate policy

In collaboration with women’s organizations in India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, an approach for a novel gender assessment of urban climate policies was developed and tested. The Gender Assessment and Monitoring of Mitigation and Adaptation (GAMMA) methodology allows for an in-depth analysis of the institutional framework and the mitigation and adaptation policies of cities. Its application by the women’s organizations in 14 pilot cities led to policy recommendations on how to integrate gender equality into urban mitigation and adaptation actions. The results of a monitoring exercise show that the project has made a significant step forward in raising awareness of gender issues and gender-responsive action at the urban level. It provides civil society organizations working on climate justice with a tool to push local governments to work towards low-carbon, resilient, gender-just and inclusive cities. It can also be used by local governments for self-assessment.

Using a Space Syntax Approach to Enhance Pedestrians’ Accessibility and Safety in the Historic City of George Town, Penang

Contemporary urban development places a critical emphasis on pedestrian environments, especially in historic cities like George Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. Although survey questionnaires effectively captured public perceptions of issues such as poor road connectivity, weak accessibility, crime and safety concerns in George Town, they fell short in providing a comprehensive understanding of the root causes. This study leverages space syntax theory to model and analyze George Town’s unique pedestrian landscape, aiming to identify strategies for improving pedestrian networks in historical urban landscapes. Space syntax theory, known for revealing structural issues within urban contexts, is applied after a thorough examination of George Town’s urban layout, climate, architectural features, and development policies. George Town employs an informal grid layout widely utilized in British colonial port cities to enhance overall efficiency. The predominant architectural form is the shophouse, which is characterized by a ground level designed for pedestrian movement known as the “five-foot way” and adapted to Malaysia’s climate. Various axis drawing methods for the unique five-foot way under different circumstances are considered. The George Town special area plan (SAP) emphasizing heritage preservation guides development policies, thus requiring an inclusive approach to pedestrian environments. This enhances the practical significance of the current study, with the eastern and northern coastal areas serving as crucial focal points for investigation. This approach results in a comprehensive spatial model that captures the essence of George Town’s pedestrian landscape. Evaluation using space syntax indicators such as connectivity, integration, intelligibility, and choice reveals issues like poor overall network connectivity, inadequate access to key attractions, suboptimal integration, concentrated pedestrian flows, and significant safety concerns, which are exacerbated by limited infrastructure on certain two-way roads and a lack of zebra crossings. The practical implications of this study include recommendations for enhancing pedestrian spaces along identified roads and strategically installing zebra-crossings. This research is significant for its focus on a historical city in a Southeast Asian developing country, deeply integrating local environmental characteristics and providing insights into urban planning and optimization, thereby serving as a reference for similar cities.

Inaction in Urban Climate Policy Undermines Health.

This paper investigates the critical intersection of urban climate policy and public health, emphasizing the pressing need for integrated strategies to address the intertwined challenges of climate change and health in urban settings. Despite cities being central to global emissions and energy consumption, a significant gap exists in the incorporation of health considerations into urban climate strategies, as evidenced by the analysis of urban content in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The paper highlights the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) initiative and the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report as pivotal moments for integrating climate and health agendas. However, it also points out the underwhelming response from cities in adopting comprehensive climate strategies, which undermines potential public health benefits. With substantial investments required to bridge the gap in health-focused climate resilience, the paper calls for a redefined approach to urban climate policy. This approach should prioritize health outcomes, leverage opportunities like the 15-Minute City concept, and foster the development of infrastructures that support both climate resilience and public health. The upcoming NDC revision cycle is identified as a critical opportunity for embedding health imperatives into urban climate strategies, emphasizing the need for a holistic perspective that views urban areas as ecosystems where climate and health are intricately connected. This comprehensive view aims to promote policies that are mutually reinforcing, thus contributing to healthier, more livable cities.

Governing intersectional climate justice: Tactics and lessons from Barcelona

AbstractCities and local governments are important actors in the global governance of climate change; however, the specific governance principles and arrangements that enable urban climate plans and policies to realize commitments to social equity and justice remain largely unexplored. This article uses the City of Barcelona, Spain, as a critical case study of emerging “intersectional climate justice” practice, where plans to build resilience to climate change are pursued in conjunction with efforts to tackle structural inequalities in accessing the built environment, health services, energy, housing, and transportation experienced by frontline communities. The study illustrates how Barcelona and its community partners do this through four different categories of governance and decision‐making tactics, which include: (1) experimenting with disruptive planning strategies; (2) working transversally across agencies and actors to institutionalize climate justice over time; (3) putting care at the center of urban planning; and (4) mobilizing place‐based approaches to tackle intersecting vulnerabilities of frontline residents. These tactics seek to redistribute the benefits of climate‐resilient infrastructures more fairly and to enhance participatory processes more meaningfully. Finally, we assess the limitations and challenges of mobilizing these tactics in everyday urban politics. Barcelona's experience contributes to research on climate governance by challenging the notion of distinct waves of governance and revealing concurrent dimensions of climate urbanism that coexist spatially and temporally. Our research also illustrates lessons for fairer climate governance in the city, where different tactics are mobilized to address structural and intersecting socioeconomic vulnerabilities that exacerbate the experience of climate change of frontline residents.

No City Left Behind: Building Climate Policy Bridges between the North and South

Cities are progressively heightening their climate aspirations to curtail urban carbon emissions and establish a future where economies and communities can flourish within the Earth’s ecological limits. Consequently, numerous climate initiatives are being launched to control urban carbon emissions, targeting various sectors, including transport, residential, agricultural, and energy. However, recent scientific literature underscores the disproportionate distribution of climate policies. While cities in the Global North have witnessed several initiatives to combat climate change, cities in the Global South remain uncovered and highly vulnerable to climate hazards. To address this disparity, we employed the Balanced Iterative Reducing and Clustering using the Hierarchies (BRICH) algorithm to cluster cities from diverse geographical areas that exhibit comparable socioeconomic profiles. This clustering strives to foster enhanced cooperation and collaboration among cities globally, with the goal of addressing climate change in a comprehensive manner. In summary, we identified similarities, patterns, and clusters among peer cities, enabling mutual and generalizable learning among worldwide peer-cities regarding urban climate policy exchange. This exchange occurs through three approaches: (i) inner-mutual learning, (ii) cross-mutual learning, and (iii) outer-mutual learning. Our findings mark a pivotal stride towards attaining worldwide climate objectives through a shared responsibility approach. Furthermore, they provide preliminary insights into the implementation of “urban climate policy exchange” among peer cities on a global scale.

Partial climatic risk screening, adaptation and livelihoods in a coastal urban area in Ghana

Coastal urban areas worldwide are increasingly becoming convergence points for climatic hazards, demographic shifts, and spatial development. However, the presence of societal demands that impact both livelihoods and urban planning in response to climatic hazards undermines the potential positive outcomes. This research, conducted in a coastal urban area of Ghana's Greater Accra Region, utilized the Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL) developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to analyze the experiences of climatic hazards and overall livelihoods of the population. The study employed Ghana's Census Sampling Frame for implementation, and Participatory Learning Approaches, to collect data which it identified floods, heavy storms, and heat stress as the most significant hazards. These hazards greatly influenced the population's physical, social, and financial livelihood assets, resulting in losses and damages caused by heavy rains, storms, and subsequent floods. Extreme heat also had a notable impact on human and financial resources. The local population prioritized human mobility and livelihood diversification as important adaptation strategies. The findings have important policy implications, highlighting the need to address barriers and disruptions in resilience-building and sustainability efforts, emphasizing the significance of prioritizing policy investment and considering climate change uncertainties in planning towards minimizing “urban climate policy inhibition” (Urban-CPI). The study also revealed valuable lessons, such as CRiSTAL's ability to bridge the gap between climatic risk and livelihood issues, bringing them closer to communities and enhancing preparedness to adapt to climatic risks and impacts on livelihoods.

The Homogenization of Urban Climate Action Discourses

Abstract The diversification of actors in global climate governance may entail risks, but it is also linked to enhanced democratic performance and opportunities for innovation. To what extent has this diversification fostered a parallel multiplication of perspectives in urban climate policy? To answer this question, we analyze the evolution of urban narratives based on 463 international policy documents issued between 1946 and 2020. Our analysis shows that, instead of leading to diversification, the proliferation of actors is accompanied by a growing homogenization of urban narratives. Language appears to become progressively uniform across organizations and over time, with approaches emphasizing multi-actor governance, integrated planning, and co-benefits becoming dominant. Three factors explain this homogenization. First, actors with a long history of involvement in international development exert a significant amount of influence. Second, there is a tendency toward language harmonization in international policy. Third, urban climate narratives stabilize through association with broader policy paradigms. In conclusion, the diversification of actors in international climate policy is mediated by processes of narrative alignment, which foreclose possibilities for divergent thinking.

Philanthropic foundations as urban climate policy entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Cities are increasingly presented as key sites of effective climate action. However urban climate governance is suffering from an implementation gap, and a democratic deficit associated with its technical focus and difficulties to address social climate justice issues. Philanthropic foundations have been heavily involved with climate issues, contributing to the positioning of cities as key actors on this front. Yet, their role in transforming urban climate governance from within is still little studied. We propose a conceptual framework to specify their contribution in solving or reinforcing the challenges of urban climate governance, and investigate their effects through a qualitative in-depth study of the processes of urban climate governance at the stages of plan making and implementation. Considering certain benefits in terms of effective field-building, but drawbacks for equity, democratic legitimacy and accountability, we argue that philanthropic foundations are urban climate policy entrepreneurs whose impact on urban governance is ambiguous.

Urban Heat Transition in Berlin: Corporate Strategies, Political Conflicts, and Just Solutions

In the field of urban climate policy, heat production and demand are key sectors for achieving a sustainable city. Heat production has to shift from fossil to renewable energies, and the heat demand of most buildings has to be reduced significantly via building retrofits. However, analyses of heat transition still lack its contextualization within entangled urban politico-economic processes and materialities and require critical socio-theoretical examination. Asking about the embeddedness of heat transition within social relations and its implications for social justice issues, this article discusses the challenges and opportunities of heat transition, taking Berlin as an example. It uses an urban political ecology perspective to analyze the materialities of Berlin’s heating-housing nexus, its politico-economic context, implications for relations of inequality and power, and its contested strategies. The empirical analysis identifies major disputes about the future trajectory of heat production and about the distribution of retrofit costs. Using our conceptual approach, we discuss these empirical findings against the idea of a more just heat transition. For this purpose, we discuss three policy proposals regarding cost distribution, urban heat planning, and remunicipalization of heat utilities. We argue that this conceptual approach provides huge benefits for debates around heat transition and, more generally, energy justice and just transitions.

Institutionalizing urban climate governance in the global South? Evidence from Tehran urban management, Iran

ABSTRACT Local governments across the world have an increasingly significant role to play in climate change resiliency at both community and city levels. Urban climate governance has been increasingly a popular concept and framework for building capacity towards urban resiliency. Nevertheless, and despite the considerable vulnerability of Iranian cities and on top of that the capital, Tehran, to climate change threats, few studies have evaluated the barriers and challenges of the city’s local governments for enhancing the capacity of climate governance. This paper assesses the urban climate governance capacity in Tehran urban management system. Methodologically, this study uses previous successfully deployed analytical frameworks, developed by Tanner et al. (Urban governance for adaptation: Assessing climate change resilience in Ten Asian cities (IDS Working Paper 315). Institute of Development Studies, 2009) and updated the variables through various newly released research on urban climate governance in developing countries, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. The results show that, through the lens of assessing variables, Tehran municipality faces a handful of problems in institutionalizing urban climate governance in its setting due to the unintegrated urban management structure as well as the unwillingness of the local body (Islamic City Council) along with urban branches of the national government to function in an integrated way in term of urban climate policy.

Norm domestication challenges for local climate actions: A lesson from Arizona,USA

AbstractResearch on norm domestication in multi‐level governance structures is overlooked in urban climate governance and policy literature. This paper conceptualizes multi‐scalar interactions of norm domestication for local climate actions. The city of Phoenix, which operates under the “purple” (blue cities and red legislatures) state of Arizona, is analyzed to illustrate how a local government can take up the climate actions left in the void at the state and federal levels. The empirical findings reveal important temporal politics at the state level that influenced the local government's climate norm domestication. The period of Democratic party leadership diffused climate norms at the state‐level and positioned the local government more as a climate policy‐taker, adopting decisions from the state legislature. Swings in the state‐level executive orders under the subsequent period of Republican leadership, however, forced the local government to seek some common ground for norm domestication, usually related to the nonpartisan goals of economic development. Consequently, local climate actions are subject to depoliticization of climate change from the higher‐level governance structures. Overall, decarbonization targets are not being directed in ways that lead to a broader shift in the socio‐technical system but would support short‐term emission reductions if multiple institutions, both at the state and sub‐state levels, created spaces for collaboration rather than competition.

Towards a Science of Scaling for Urban Climate Action and Governance

AbstractThe scaling of urban climate action and its governance is rapidly becoming a central focus in the urban climate governance literature and policy debates. Building on the broader scaling literature and inspired by related initiatives in other fields, this article calls for the development of a systematic “science of scaling” for urban climate governance. Such a science of scaling may help to give a better understanding of how well-performing urban climate action and its governance can be multiplied, accelerated and broadened (ie horizontal and vertical scaling and scaling out, up and down), and it may help to uncover scaling trajectories towards systemic change in cities (ie deep scaling).

Multidimensional hazards, vulnerabilities, and perceived risks regarding climate change and Covid-19 at the city level: An empirical study from Haifa, Israel

Climate hazards and vulnerabilities in cities are multidimensional. Natural features determine heat, floods and wildfires. Social features determine vulnerability and resilience. This study examined multidimensional hazards, vulnerabilities, and resilience in Haifa, a socially diverse Mediterranean city. Spatial indices of heatwaves, floods, wildfires and social vulnerability were developed by Geographic Information Systems geoprocessing functions using Digital Elevation Model, land use and welfare data. An online survey assessing risk perceptions, sense of danger and community resilience was distributed to residents (N = 549), and geocoded using street identification. The results show that climate hazards and vulnerabilities vary within the city and reflect its geographical and social characteristics: lower regions are prone to heat and floods and elevated neighborhoods to wildfires. All zones and segments of the population are in certain danger, but climate hazards and vulnerabilities are heterogeneous and unequally distributed, with certain neighborhoods more exposed. The downtown area is most vulnerable in social features, yet its residents have higher resilience perceptions compared to uptown, where the main hazard is wildfires and the main vulnerability is aging. Implications for urban climate policy: local stressors should be mitigated at the neighborhood level by investing in suitable infrastructure and fostering community resilience.

Disentangling justice as recognition through public support for local climate adaptation policies: Insights from the Southwest US

Public policy in the US is partially influenced by public opinion. Studies that focus on the factors that predict urban populations' strong supports for local climate adaptation policies are still lacking. Engaging environmental and public policy behavior and recognition justice approaches, we argue people's support for urban climate policies reveal certain vulnerable communities' lack of recognition in local adaptation decision-making processes. Using the 2011 Phoenix Area Social Survey, we focus on two climate adaptation policies: 1) increasing the number of trees planted along public streets, a nature-based solution; 2) engineering new paving materials that absorb less heat”, a technology-oriented infrastructure configuration to deal with rising temperatures in the Phoenix Metro Area, Arizona. We found climate change beliefs and acknowledging climate change as a threat to people's households and ways of life are the strongest predictors supporting the two suggested local climate policies. While individuals other than non-Hispanic White background and who identify themselves as liberal strongly support a nature-based solution, people who are 41 to 56 years of age support a technology-oriented infrastructure configuration. Further studies must focus on the persistent power asymmetries and divergence in regulations spurred from the state and local governments that inhibit further climate actions through urban planning and design.

Barriers and Enablers for Integrating Public Health Cobenefits in Urban Climate Policy.

Urban climate policy offers a significant opportunity to promote improved public health. The evidence around climate and health cobenefits is growing but has yet to translate into widespread integrated policies. This article presents two systematic reviews: first, looking at quantified cobenefits of urban climate policies, where transportation, land use, and buildings emerge as the most studied sectors; and second, looking at review papers exploring the barriers and enablers for integrating these health cobenefits into urban policies. The latter reveals wide agreement concerning the need to improve the evidence base for cobenefits and consensus about the need for greater political will and leadership on this issue. Systems thinking may offer a way forward to help embrace complexity and integrate health cobenefits into decision making. Knowledge coproduction to bring stakeholders together and advance policy-relevant research for urban health will also be required. Action is needed to bring these two important policy agendas together.

Urban climate policy and the Nordic potential for carbon neutrality - the case study of city of Helsinki

The aim of this article is to discuss urban climate policies, with a special focus on Helsinki, the fast growing capital of Finland. The preconditionfor the study is that metropolitan areas in Finland hold a central place fornational climate policies due to their population and economic impact. Thecase study proves that the city, which had disadvantageous conditions for climatesolutions in the early 90’s, has successfully remodelled its approach andpresently joins the group of world cities declaring carbon neutrality in comingyears. The change was possible due to a favourable political climate, a multistakeholderand inclusive approach, public involvement, and the correlationbetween public and private initiatives. The study is based on statistical data,institutional analysis, and a comparison of the strategic documents of the cityof Helsinki in the area of climate planning.

Urban Climate Policy and Action through a Health Lens-An Untapped Opportunity.

Motivated by a growing recognition of the climate emergency, reflected in the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), we outline untapped opportunities to improve health through ambitious climate actions in cities. Health is a primary reason for climate action yet is rarely integrated in urban climate plans as a policy goal. This is a missed opportunity to create sustainable alliances across sectors and groups, to engage a broad set of stakeholders, and to develop structural health promotion. In this statement, we first briefly review the literature on health co-benefits of urban climate change strategies and make the case for health-promoting climate action; we then describe barriers to integrating health in climate action. We found that the evidence-base is often insufficiently policy-relevant to be impactful. Research rarely integrates the complexity of real-world systems, including multiple and dynamic impacts of strategies, and consideration of how decision-making processes contend with competing interests and short-term electoral cycles. Due to siloed-thinking and restrictive funding opportunities, research often falls short of the type of evidence that would be most useful for decision-making, and research outputs can be cryptic to decision makers. As a way forward, we urge researchers and stakeholders to engage in co-production and systems thinking approaches. Partnering across sectors and disciplines is urgently needed so pathways to climate change mitigation and adaptation fully embrace their health-promoting potential and engage society towards the huge transformations needed. This commentary is endorsed by the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) and accompanies a sister statement oriented towards stakeholders (published on the societies’ websites).

Unpacking the heterogeneity of climate city networks

In recent decades, climate city networks, understood as formalized subnational governance networks that have climate change as their focus, have emerged, linking cities to the global climate governance regime and helping them to take climate action locally. Such city networks are considered an essential aspect of urban climate policy and governance. Scholarship on climate city networks has illustrated that such networks can no longer be understood as homogenous groups of organizations; rather, they show heterogeneity in how they seek to attract and engage with member cities. In this article, we unpack this heterogeneity and interrogate the various ways in which climate city networks attract and engage with their members. We are particularly interested in understanding what typifies climate city networks with an active member base. In studying 22 real-world climate city networks, we uncover five distinct types of networks with an active member base. The typology illustrates the rich, but bounded, variety of climate city networks, and helps to clarify how climate city networks can be effective in encouraging their member cities to take local climate action.