Developing transformative capacity through systematic assessments and visualization of urban climate transitions

Area of Science:

• Urban planning and sustainability science.
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• Public administration and policy implementation.

Background:

• Cities face challenges in overseeing diverse climate actions for effective decision-making.
• Lack of comprehensive assessment hinders urban climate transition (UCT) capacity.
• Local governments require tools to navigate complex sustainability efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and test an assessment framework for visualizing urban climate transition (UCT) implementation.
• To evaluate the framework's effectiveness in enhancing understanding and governance of UCT.
• To identify key factors for facilitating successful UCT.

Main Methods:

• Development of a visual assessment framework integrating UCT activities and process progression.
• Application of the framework in three Swedish cities.
• Evaluation of visual UCT representations by climate coordinators and municipal councillors.

Main Results:

• Visual UCT representations clarified actions and implementation bottlenecks for city officials.
• The framework improved understanding, making urban climate transition more governable.
• Involving external actors and shifting priorities were identified as crucial for UCT success.

Conclusions:

• Systematic assessment and visualization of process progression facilitate UCT governance.
• Visual tools enhance system awareness and local transformative capacity for sustainability.
• The proposed framework shows potential for broader sustainability transitions beyond climate action.