Implementing Agile Data Workflows to Unlock Climate-Resilient Urban Planning

Abstract

Cities around the world are facing the implications of a changing climate as an increasingly pressing issue. The negative effects of climate change are already being felt today. Therefore, adaptation to these changes is a mission that every city must master. Leading practices worldwide demonstrate various urban efforts on climate change adaptation (CCA) which are already underway. Above all, the integration of climate data, remote sensing, and in situ data is key to a successful and measurable adaptation strategy. Furthermore, these data can act as a timely decision support tool for municipalities to develop an adaptation strategy, decide which actions to prioritize, and gain the necessary buy-in from local policymakers. The implementation of agile data workflows can facilitate the integration of climate data into climate-resilient urban planning. Due to local specificities, (supra)national, regional, and municipal policies and (by) laws, as well as geographic and related climatic differences worldwide, there is no single path to climate-resilient urban planning. Agile data workflows can support interdepartmental collaboration and, therefore, need to be integrated into existing management processes and government structures. Agile management, which has its origins in software development, can be a way to break down traditional management practices, such as static waterfall models and sluggish stage-gate processes, and enable an increased level of flexibility and agility required when urgent. This paper presents the findings of an empirical case study conducted in cooperation with the City of Constance in southern Germany, which is pursuing a transdisciplinary and trans-sectoral co-development approach to make management processes more agile in the context of climate change adaptation. The aim is to present a possible way of integrating climate data into CCA planning by changing the management approach and implementing a toolbox for low-threshold access to climate data. The city administration, in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Constance, the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), and the University of Stuttgart, developed a co-creative and participatory project, CoKLIMAx, with the objective of integrating climate data into administrative processes in the form of a toolbox. One key element of CoKLIMAx is the involvement of the population, the city administration, and political decision-makers through targeted communication and regular feedback loops among all involved departments and stakeholder groups. Based on the results of a survey of 72 administrative staff members and a literature review on agile management in municipalities and city administrations, recommendations on a workflow and communication structure for cross-departmental strategies for resilient urban planning in the City of Constance were developed.

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation Strategies into Urban Policies for Sustainable City Resilience: Barriers and Solutions in the Central African City of N’Djaména

“…However, although adaptation can potentially reduce the negative effects of climate change, little attention has been paid to the consequences of adaptation policies and practices on urban sustainability [20]. Adaptation is also a question of interaction between local strategies for managing change and policies and decisions that may favor certain strategies and developments over others [21].…”

“…In recent years, methods have been developed for simultaneously considering societal and sectoral objectives, climate risks, and adaptation options [21]. A study by Chu et al [29] assessed how civil society actors contribute to adaptation planning and implementation.…”

“…Surveys of key informants were used to gather their opinions on their knowledge of the various climate and urban planning policies. Using the approach adopted by Vögt et al [21], we surveyed a sample of one hundred (100) key informants from the following state and municipal structures (Table 1): twenty-five (25) at the Ministry of the Environment, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, twenty-five (25) at the Ministry of Regional Planning, Housing and Urban Development, ten (10) in the Urban Planning, Development and Urban Transport Department of the N'Djaména municipality, and forty (40) in the ten (10) district municipalities.…”

A Systematic Review of Agroecology Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change Impacts on Smallholder Crop Farmers’ Livelihoods in South Africa

“…These pressures may compromise the agricultural sector's ability to meet the needs of a growing population and ensure food security. Without rapid and effective adaptation, climate change will continue to have devastating consequences (Vögt et al, 2023) [3]. In this context, the concept of agroecology has gained significant attention as a promising approach to address these challenges and promote sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.…”