Comparison of Urban Climate Change Adaptation Plans in Selected European Cities from a Legal and Spatial Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify and compare the key institutional features of urban climate change adaptation plans in three geographically, systemically, and climatically distinct European countries (Greece, Spain, and Poland). The paper concentrates on the tool indicated and confirms the circumstances and potential outcomes of its usage in the selected countries. A case study of a particular city was chosen in each country and the applicability of the climate change adaptation plan there was confirmed. Analysis was also performed on the plans’ legal aspect, connection to national-level strategic planning, and spatial planning. The research questions formulated and addressed are as follows: how do urban climate change adaptation plans in the selected countries define key climate challenges? Is the content of the municipal climate change adaptation plans consistent with the content of the diagnosis of climate challenges at the supra-local level and in the scientific discussion? How are climate change adaptation plans translated into the implementation sphere? Τhe example of Spain and Greece confirms that plans can combine general climate change adaptation objectives with specific (evasive) guidelines for urban policies, while the example of Poland shows that the content of climate change adaptation plans can often be too vague and difficult to further integrate into urban policies. The research results obtained are relevant from the perspective of comparing institutional responses to climate challenges. The research proposes possible methods for making such comparisons.