Adaptation in UK Cities: Heading in the Right Direction?

Abstract

Cities face a number of climatic and non-climatic challenges, many of which will interact to present serious risks to livelihoods, quality of life and safety within the urban environment. Cities in the UK are beginning to build stakeholder networks, assess their vulnerabilities, set their strategic direction and plan, and in some cases, implement adaptation measures. These measures are rarely motivated by climate change concerns alone. We suggest that adaptation requires an integrated approach in which infrastructure enables climate resilient lifestyles rather than merely offering temporary protection. More emphasis is needed on the social context of vulnerability and resilience. Many cities are making good progress in mainstreaming adaptation into their systems and plans. We present two caricatures of future cities and use this image to argue that it is also important for cities to consider more transformational change.