As urban planners, we are at the forefront of preparing our cities for the escalating challenges of climate change, particularly extreme heat and heavy rainfall. We develop strategies and implement plans, but a critical question often remains: How do we know if our efforts are actually working? Quantifying the progress of climate adaptation can be challenging².

A new review article by Nisha Patel and her colleagues, “Assessing Progress in Urban Climate Adaptation,” delves into this very issue, providing a comprehensive look at Urban Climate Adaptation Indicators (UCAIs) that can help municipalities track their progress in creating heat- and water-sensitive cities. The study, which combines a literature review with expert workshops in Germany, identifies 27 key indicators that planners can use to measure real-world changes in urban infrastructure.

What Are Urban Climate Adaptation Indicators (UCAIs)?

UCAIs are metrics that help monitor the tangible outcomes of climate adaptation plans over both the short term (6 months to a decade) and long term (over a decade). Instead of just tracking inputs (like money spent), these indicators focus on results—the visible, planned, or built changes that reduce climate risks like heat stress and flooding.

The researchers grouped these 27 indicators into five key areas crucial for urban resilience:

1. Surface and Urban Overheating Indicators: These metrics help cities understand and mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. While complex indicators like
2. Building Type and Structure Indicators: The physical form of a city—its density, building height, and materials—plays a major role in its climate. Indicators in this category include
3. Green Infrastructure Indicators: This is one of the most promising categories identified in the study. Green spaces not only mitigate heat and heavy rainfall but also improve air quality and public health.
4. Soil-Sealing Indicators: Soil sealing—covering the ground with impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt—is a major driver of both urban heat and flood risk. Tracking the
5. Water-Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) Indicators: These indicators focus specifically on managing heavy precipitation and reducing flood risk. Key metrics include the

Key Takeaways for Planners

The review concludes that the most promising indicators are those related to green infrastructure and soil sealing. These metrics are powerful because they assess multiple adaptation measures simultaneously, have clear co-benefits for health and biodiversity, and avoid major conflicts with other urban planning goals.

However, the authors stress a critical challenge: the lack of systematic, high-resolution, and readily available data to calculate these indicators effectively. To move forward, planners need better tools and national-level support to continuously monitor climate-related changes, allowing for more informed and effective decision-making in building the resilient, sustainable cities of the future.

https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cli2.70009