Spatial Planning Response to the Challenges of Climate Change Adaptation: An Analysis of Selected Instruments and Good Practices in Europe

Maciej J. Nowak, Renato Monteiro, Jorge Olcina-Cantos and Dimitra G. Vagiona ()
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Maciej J. Nowak: Department of Real Estate, Faculty of Economics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland
Renato Monteiro: MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Campus de Caparica, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Jorge Olcina-Cantos: Department of Regional and Physical Geography, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Dimitra G. Vagiona: Department of Spatial Planning and Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-27

Abstract: The task of combining objectives, spatial planning instruments, and climate change adaptation targets is a complex endeavour that varies across countries. There is a call for a universal discussion on how spatial planning should respond to climate change challenges. To address this issue, this article delves into the approaches taken by Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Poland, aiming to explore how spatial planning instruments support climate change adaptation goals. The authors, based on a jointly extracted questionnaire, identified what they consider to be the most relevant examples of instruments to use to ensure the integration of spatial planning objectives and the response to climate challenges. The identified solutions are compared in detail. Three key spatial planning themes emerged in this study: investment in renewable energy, the development and preservation of green infrastructure, and the protection of coastal zones. This article examines the systemic solutions found in these countries, discusses the role of both classical and sectoral spatial planning instruments, and identifies the level of public authority responsible for key interventions. It shows that instruments developed at the supra-local level should support local authorities by providing them with legal and substantive arguments for developing solutions relevant to climate challenges.

Keywords: spatial planning; climate change adaptation; green infrastructure; renewable energy investments; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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