CoP 14 Reviews UCAP and Advances Floodable Parks, Climate Data Platforms, Heat Resilience and Citizen-Centred Adaptation

The second multilateral meeting of the IURC Climate Adaptation Community of Practice 14 (CoP 14), held at 8:00 CET, marked a key step towards finalising the Urban Cooperation Action Plan (UCAP). The meeting brought together partner cities to review the draft UCAP prepared by Valencia Region (Spain), exchange feedback, and refine priority interventions guiding future cooperation.

Participants confirmed strong alignment around four strategic pillars shaping the UCAP: multi-asset nature-based adaptation, heat wave adaptation and health measures, climate data platforms, and citizen participation and engagement. These pillars reflect a shared ambition to translate knowledge exchange into practical, inclusive climate adaptation solutions.

A central intervention discussed under the nature-based adaptation pillar is the development of floodable parks and multifunctional green infrastructure, presented by the Region of Valencia (Spain) as a flagship example of climate-responsive public space design. These landscapes provide temporary water retention during heavy rainfall while offering recreation areas, biodiversity benefits, and urban cooling functions. Cities also explored opportunities to expand connected green corridors and participatory urban greening initiatives, strengthening ecosystem resilience and public accessibility to green spaces. Bologna (Italy) introduced several European projects that develop sponge city measures and emphasised its experience with the EU Urban Agenda, especially in green infrastructure.

The meeting further emphasised heat wave adaptation and climatic shelters as an emerging priority across partner cities. Participants discussed the role of shaded public spaces, cooling community buildings, and green infrastructure in protecting vulnerable populations during extreme heat events. Kawasaki (Japan) expressed interest in deepening cooperation on heat risk assessment and mitigation strategies, while several cities highlighted the importance of linking health preparedness with urban planning measures. Kyoto (Japan) highlighted three key areas: participation in environmental matters, decarbonization education, and environmental initiatives for sustainable tourism and culture.

Another key area of cooperation focuses on climate data platforms and urban climate intelligence systems. Exchanges highlighted how digital tools, monitoring platforms, and digital twin models can support early warning, spatial planning, and prioritisation of adaptation investments. Sofia City (Bulgaria) indicated potential contributions related to urban heat digital-twin modelling, while Pimpri Chinchwad (India) expressed interest in combining sponge-city planning with predictive modelling and decision-support tools.

Citizen participation emerged as a defining component of the cooperation. Cities emphasised the need to move beyond awareness campaigns towards meaningful co-design of adaptation solutions. Discussions highlighted approaches such as participatory planning of green infrastructure, community-based climate monitoring, behavioural change initiatives, and engagement of youth, academia, and civil society organisations in adaptation governance. Partners also explored the potential for citizen science initiatives and local stakeholder involvement in monitoring climate impacts, particularly in relation to heat stress and neighbourhood-level resilience.

The meeting also reflected growing interest in the Community of Practice, with Christchurch (New Zealand) joining the exchange and sharing experience in community resilience and recovery-based adaptation. Christchurch referred to the Adaptation Futures Conference, which took place in October 2025, and the subsequent creation of an adaptation society in New Zealand. The conference website still provides access to publicly streamed events, which can be viewed here. Hamburg (Germany) announced its intention to transition from observer to full member, signalling expanding collaboration within the CoP. The city mentioned climate resilience as one priority theme for the IURC engagement and highlighted some adaptation measures.

Participants reviewed upcoming cooperation opportunities, including study visits to Valencia, Bologna, and Japanese partner cities, as well as the forthcoming World Cities Summit in Singapore on 16 June, which will host an IURC workshop. The importance of early coordination and political-level participation was highlighted to strengthen knowledge exchange and international visibility.

The session concluded with agreement on next steps to support UCAP finalisation. The updated draft will be circulated to all partners for written feedback, followed by bilateral discussions to refine pilot concepts and city contributions. Thematic webinars involving research institutions and stakeholders are also planned after UCAP completion, including potential sessions on emerging topics such as air quality and community-led adaptation.

The outcomes of this multilateral meeting demonstrate how CoP 14 is advancing a cooperation pathway centred on flood-resilient public spaces, climate-responsive urban cooling, data-driven adaptation governance, and citizen-centred resilience — reinforcing the transition from dialogue to implementation across participating cities.