Regine Ortlepp

Purpose: Extreme weather events driven by climate change, such as heatwaves, droughts and floods, significantly threaten urban sustainability and ecosystems. Coordinated and comprehensive urban planning is crucial for mitigation efforts. Climate change adaptation documents (CCADs) are essential tools for building urban resilience. However, their scope and focus vary significantly depending on the national and local context. This paper aims to compare Czech and German CCADs, specifically focusing on adaptation measures for water retention, drought mitigation and heat island reduction. Design/methodology/approach: The study examined city size, wealth and CCAD publication dates. By analysing specific adaptation measures, the authors identified differences in CCADs between large and small cities, as well as among cities of similar size and wealth. In addition, it was investigated whether the aspect of time plays a relevant role. The scope of this study is focused on the content analysis of the planning documents themselves; it does not assess the real-world implementation rates, effectiveness or “success” of the proposed measures. Findings: Qualitative content analysis reveals fundamental differences between CCADs; however, no significant variation was found based on city size and wealth. Research limitations/implications: Limited by content analysis, the study cannot explain planner motivations. Future qualitative research is needed to investigate the political and social drivers behind CCAD development. Social implications: CCADs enhance urban resilience and quality of life by mitigating extreme weather. The study reveals differing national risk perceptions (drought vs flood). Inconsistent plan quality implies social inequity in climate resilience and highlights the need for public engagement to improve preparedness. Public engagement and addressing vulnerabilities are crucial for equitable adaptation outcomes. Originality/value: Unlike previous studies comparing CCADs, this paper focuses on specific adaptation measures.

1. Climate change has not only initiated global warming but has also increased the frequency and severity of extreme climate conditions such as heavy rainstorms leading to urban flooding and extrem...

Hoyerswerda in der sächsischen Lausitz befindet sich im Strukturwandel und hat in der Vergangenheit massive Bevölkerungsverluste hinnehmen müssen. Nun versucht die Stadt in Zusammenarbeit mit wissenschaftlichen Institutionen, entstandene Leerstände und Freiflächen zu nutzen, um unter Mitwirkung der Bevölkerung, Pilotmaßnahmen zum ökologischen Stadtumbau, zum Klimaschutz, zur Klimaanpassung sowie zur Kreislaufwirtschaft umzusetzen.

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is a prominent concept toward climate adaptation and urban resilience, but it is also affected by droughts and heat. Hence, this study aims to advance the multi‐assessment of drought and heat risks (DHRs) for UGI through the DHR assessment framework with conceptual and methodological features, paving the way toward knowledge creation and decision support. The framework was systematically developed, starting with defining the situation, analyzing concepts, and finally, constructing the framework. The situation is interpreted as a coupled human and natural system to represent the biophysical and immaterial elements, processes, and interrelations. Further, the concepts of risk, UGI, and ecosystem services lead to a risk system showing the compound hazards, the exposure, and the cascading vulnerabilities of the UGI. The DHR assessment framework distinguishes two stages, multi‐risk analysis and multi‐criteria risk evaluation. The analysis includes the definition and interpretation of the UGI situation under drought and heat conditions, analyzing the hazards, exposures, and vulnerabilities of the system, and translating the risk system into an indicator‐based information system. Hereby, the vulnerability analysis of the biophysical UGI aspects comprises the susceptibility and resilience of UGI entities, as well as the degree to which providing ecosystem functions and services can be affected. The multi‐criteria risk evaluation covers the assignment of thresholds and weights for indicators, in addition to the aggregation methods. The resulting framework intends to support local actors in the risk assessment of current and future conditions, fostering evidence‐based decisions and interventions to deal with compound DHRs.

Durch die projizierte globale Erwärmung werden sich Hitzeextreme verschärfen. Vor allem in den Städten wird die Lebensqualität der Stadtbevölkerung unter sommerlichen Hitzewellen leiden. Im ProjektHeatResilientCitywerden bewohnerorientierte Hitzeanpassungsmaßnahmen an Gebäuden und im städtischen Freiraum entwickelt und geprüft sowie Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung gegeben.TheHeatResilientCityproject applied insights from natural sciences, engineering and the social sciences to develop heat adaptation measures, test their effectiveness and partially implement them in two structurally different real-world laboratories in Dresden-Gorbitz and Erfurt-Oststadt. The present article discusses interventions to plant street trees and to refurbish two different residential buildings. We describe and analyse aspects of the implementation process to identify key factors that enable or constrain adaptation action among different groups of actors. We find that adaptation measures that are objectively effective and supported by residents are most appropriate for implementation. Where residents evince scepticism about adaptation measures, information about their effectiveness and usefulness should be disseminated. Early and targeted involvement of relevant stakeholders, careful communication and the establishment of climate adaptation as a permanent interdepartmental task at municipal level can promote successful implementation of heat adaptation measures.

Building resilience is a core element of urban resilience that refers to both the (1) intended physical change of the building stock and the related blue, green, and grey infrastructure, as well as (2) the social process of increasing resilience through the goal-driven cooperation of scientists and practitioners. Building resilience at the interface of science and practice is characterized by tensions and a range of approaches to dealing with tensions. To specify this proposition, this research note adopts a strategic spatial planning perspective and introduces the typology of “motors of change” from organizational and management research. We focus on a goal-driven motor of change (“teleology”) and highlight three approaches to dealing with tensions: developing a strategic focus of knowledge integration, setting priorities to enhance resilience as a pro-active ability of disaster risk reduction (DRR), and compromising in the management of trade-offs, such as those between the scales of resilience. For the purpose of illustration, this research note refers to examples of building resilience at a local level in Germany, dealing with heat stress in urban areas, managing the risk of extreme flood events, and analyzing the resilience of innovative infrastructure solutions.