Urban Adaptation Planning and Governance: Challenges to Emerging Wisdom

Abstract

Numerous recommendations are emerging to guide cities in developing risk assessments and climate adaptation plans. In some instances, these recommendations are appropriate. However, since many are drawn from traditional approaches to comprehensive planning and from climate mitigation programs, they often do not account for the unique challenges associated with urban adaptation or provide guidance that is sensitive to the distinctive social, cultural, institutional, and administrative characteristics of particular locales. In this paper, which captures a panel discussion convened at the Resilient Cities Congress 2010, expert practitioners and academics review emerging wisdom about best practices in adaptation planning, draw on their experience and research findings to challenge these assumptions, and show what we can learn about process and outcomes from cities at the forefront.