Preparing Cities for Climate Change: An International Comparative Assessment of Urban Adaptation Planning

本项目的研究目的是对城市适应性规划进行国际比较评估。世界各地的城市都在经历气候变化导致的长期问题和极端事件。尽管城市迫切需要保护其建筑环境、自然环境和人类环境，但它们所采取的方法却存在显著差异。在一个极端，一些城市正在制定专门的综合气候适应计划。另一个极端是没有制定任何计划或采取任何适应措施的城市。利用扩散和能力理论、案例研究和调查方法，本比较国际研究考察了：(1)城市采用的气候适应计划类型；(2)影响城市气候适应规划方式差异的因素；(3)非政府组织和社区组织的努力补充、规避和取代政府适应举措的方式。这项调查的结果将扩大我们对影响城市气候行动决策的力量和因素的理解。它们还将加深我们对民间社会行为体如何影响地方政府能力的认识。减少灾害风险是气候适应规划的关键组成部分。因此，作为研究适应的结果，这项研究将增强我们对自然灾害规划的社会和政治层面的理解。为了确保与政策相关的结果能够传达给城市的决策者，研究结果将被总结成一份报告，并分发给气候和地方政府网络的成员。研究结果还将成为案例研究的基础，可用于研究生水平的课程，并将有助于开发一个旨在帮助城市开展适应举措的网络工具。除了制作政策和教育材料外，研究生还将有机会获得在国际环境中进行研究的经验。

The research objective of this project is to conduct an international comparative assessment of urban adaptation planning. Cities throughout the world are experiencing chronic problems and extreme events that are being attributed climate change. Although there is a critical need for cities to protect their built, natural, and human environments, there is notable variability in the approaches they are taking. At one extreme, some cities are developing dedicated and integrated climate adaptation plans. At the other extreme are cities that have not established any plans or initiated any adaptation measures whatsoever. Drawing on theories of diffusion and capacity, and case study and survey methodologies, this comparative international research examines: (1) the types of plans for climate adaptation being adopted in cities; (2) factors associated with differences in the approaches urban municipalities are taking toward climate adaptation planning; and (3) the ways that the efforts of nongovernmental and community-based organizations complement, circumvent, and replace government adaptation initiatives. The results from this inquiry will expand our understanding of the forces and factors shaping decisions related to urban climate action. They also will deepen our knowledge of how civil society actors affect the capacity local governments. Disaster risk reduction is a critical component of climate adaptation planning. Therefore, as a consequence of studying adaptation, this research will enhance our understanding of the social and political dimensions of planning for natural disasters. To ensure that the policy-relevant results reach decision-makers in cities, the findings will be summarized in a report and disseminated to members of climate and local government networks. The research findings also will form the basis for case studies that can be used in graduate-level courses and will contribute to the development of a web tool designed to assist cities in their adaptation initiatives. In addition to generating policy and educational materials, graduate students will have opportunities to gain experience conducting research in international settings.