IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v12y2022i4d10.1007_s13412-022-00767-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Urban planning in Swiss cities has been slow to think about climate change: why and what to do?

Author

Listed:
  • Gilles Desthieux

    (Institut du Paysage, d’Architecture, de La Construction Et du Territoire (inPACT) Haute Ecole du Paysage, d’ingénierie Et d’architecture de Genève (HEPIA))

  • Florent Joerin

    (Institut d’ingénierie du Territoire (INSIT) Haute Ecole d’Ingénierie Et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD))

Abstract

Recent years have been marked by a strong popular and political mobilization around climate change. However, to what extent does this mobilization lead to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or the vulnerability of our society to the effects of climate change? This question is at the heart of the research presented, which sought to identify the barriers and levers to the integration of climate issues into urban planning of Swiss cities. The literature review first situates the integration of climate change in Swiss cities in relation to the evolution of practices at the international level. It emerged that Swiss cities have generally been late in integrating climate issues into their public policies. Practices still focus strongly on energy policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but adaptation measures in urban planning are poorly implemented. In order to better understand the reasons for this slow and late integration of climate change into urban planning of Swiss cities, a survey was conducted among more than 200 professionals. It showed that the evolution of practices is generally driven by “pioneering” actors who are strongly mobilized by personal values and who use specialized and scientific sources of information. Finally, two focus groups with representative professionals were organized in order to deepen the barriers and levers observed and to formulate sound recommendations for integrating the climate issue into urban planning. Two lines of action emerged: prioritization (strengthening legal frameworks and organizational structures) and support (training and involvement of climate experts at all stages of urban planning).

Suggested Citation

  • Gilles Desthieux & Florent Joerin, 2022. "Urban planning in Swiss cities has been slow to think about climate change: why and what to do?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(4), pages 692-713, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:12:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-022-00767-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-022-00767-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-022-00767-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-022-00767-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guillaume Simonet & Alexia Leseur, 2019. "Barriers and drivers to adaptation to climate change—a field study of ten French local authorities," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 155(4), pages 621-637, August.
    2. Christiane Reischl & Romana Rauter & Alfred Posch, 2018. "Urban vulnerability and adaptation to heatwaves: a case study of Graz (Austria)," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 63-75, January.
    3. Paul Lehmann & Miriam Brenck & Oliver Gebhardt & Sven Schaller & Elisabeth Süßbauer, 2015. "Barriers and opportunities for urban adaptation planning: analytical framework and evidence from cities in Latin America and Germany," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 75-97, January.
    4. Davies, Clive & Lafortezza, Raffaele, 2017. "Urban green infrastructure in Europe: Is greenspace planning and policy compliant?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 93-101.
    5. Heleen Mees & Niels Tijhuis & Carel Dieperink, 2018. "The effectiveness of communicative tools in addressing barriers to municipal climate change adaptation: lessons from the Netherlands," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(10), pages 1313-1326, November.
    6. Mark Lubell & Tiffany H. Morrison, 2021. "Institutional navigation for polycentric sustainability governance," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(8), pages 664-671, August.
    7. Daniel Henstra, 2016. "The tools of climate adaptation policy: analysing instruments and instrument selection," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 496-521, May.
    8. Rebecca Cunningham & Christopher Cvitanovic & Thomas Measham & Brent Jacobs & Anne-Maree Dowd & Ben Harman, 2016. "Engaging communities in climate adaptation: the potential of social networks," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(7), pages 894-908, October.
    9. Julia Harker & Prue Taylor & Stephen Knight-Lenihan, 2017. "Multi-level governance and climate change mitigation in New Zealand: lost opportunities," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 485-500, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eakin, Hallie & Keele, Svenja & Lueck, Vanessa, 2022. "Uncomfortable knowledge: Mechanisms of urban development in adaptation governance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    2. Sadie McEvoy & Frans H. M. van de Ven & Reinder Brolsma & Jill H. Slinger, 2019. "Evaluating a Planning Support System’s Use and Effects in Urban Adaptation: An Exploratory Case Study from Berlin, Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    3. Boehnke, Denise & Jehling, Mathias & Vogt, Joachim, 2023. "What hinders climate adaptation? Approaching barriers in municipal land use planning through participant observation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    4. Conway, Tenley M. & Khan, Aliza & Esak, Nasra, 2020. "An analysis of green infrastructure in municipal policy: Divergent meaning and terminology in the Greater Toronto Area," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Cavalcante, Ana Helena A. P., 2015. "Barriers and opportunities for climate adaptation: The water crisis in Greater São Paulo," The Constitutional Economics Network Working Papers 04-2015, University of Freiburg, Department of Economic Policy and Constitutional Economic Theory.
    6. Pagliacci, Francesco & Salpina, Dana, 2024. "Adapting to climate change: what really drives the choices of the producers of Geographical Indications?," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 13(3), October.
    7. Huamei Shao & Gunwoo Kim & Qing Li & Galen Newman, 2021. "Web of Science-Based Green Infrastructure: A Bibliometric Analysis in CiteSpace," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.
    8. Camila Flórez Bossio & James Ford & Danielle Labbé, 2019. "Adaptive capacity in urban areas of developing countries," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 279-297, November.
    9. Grimley, Matthew & Chan, Gabriel, 2023. "“Cooperative is an oxymoron!”: A polycentric energy transition perspective on distributed energy deployment in the Upper Midwestern United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    10. Chandni Singh & James Ford & Debora Ley & Amir Bazaz & Aromar Revi, 2020. "Assessing the feasibility of adaptation options: methodological advancements and directions for climate adaptation research and practice," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 255-277, September.
    11. Nicholas A Cradock-Henry & Joanna Fountain & Franca Buelow, 2018. "Transformations for Resilient Rural Futures: The Case of Kaikōura, Aotearoa-New Zealand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, June.
    12. Gawel, Erik & Lehmann, Paul & Strunz, Sebastian & Heuson, Clemens, 2018. "Public Choice barriers to efficient climate adaptation – theoretical insights and lessons learned from German flood disasters," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 473-499, June.
    13. Xiaochang Yang & Sinan Li & Congmou Zhu & Baiyu Dong & Hongwei Xu, 2021. "Simulating Urban Expansion Based on Ecological Security Pattern—A Case Study of Hangzhou, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-20, December.
    14. Lorenz Kammermann & Karin Ingold, 2019. "Going beyond technocratic and democratic principles: stakeholder acceptance of instruments in Swiss energy policy," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 52(1), pages 43-65, March.
    15. Jorge Salas & Víctor Yepes, 2020. "Enhancing Sustainability and Resilience through Multi-Level Infrastructure Planning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-22, February.
    16. Jana Lorena Werg & Torsten Grothmann & Stefan Löchtefeld, 2021. "Fostering Self-Protection against Impacts of Heavy Rain at the Municipal Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Irina Iulia Năstase & Ileana Pătru-Stupariu & Felix Kienast, 2019. "Landscape Preferences and Distance Decay Analysis for Mapping the Recreational Potential of an Urban Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-19, July.
    18. Renato Monteiro & José C. Ferreira & Paula Antunes, 2020. "Green Infrastructure Planning Principles: An Integrated Literature Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, December.
    19. James D Ford & Jolène Labbé & Melanie Flynn & Malcolm Araos, 2017. "Readiness for climate change adaptation in the Arctic: a case study from Nunavut, Canada," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 85-100, November.
    20. Qiangsheng Hu & Xiaorong He & Hongbing Zhu & Peihong Yang, 2023. "Understanding Residents’ Intention to Adapt to Climate Change in Urban Destinations—A Case Study of Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-16, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:12:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-022-00767-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.