Sustainable Cities

Essential Capacities for Urban Climate Adaptation, produced by the Innovation Network for Communities (INC) with support from the Summit Foundation, is based on an extensive review of climate adaptation literature, city adaptation plans, and in-depth consultation with practitioners. The report identifies seven essential capacities that leading cities have begun to develop to effectively implement climate adaptation plans in the short and long term, and provides numerous examples of ways cities are and can develop these capacities.

Central findings of the report include:

· The edge of innovation in urban climate adaptation is turning from planning to implementation.
· The challenges to implementing adaptation plans are formidable, from perceived lack of urgency to unclear authority and capital constraints.
· Climate adaptation is not just about having an adaptation plan; it involves a new approach and set of competencies for cities.
The purpose of this adaption report is to present cities with a useful framework, based on their practical experiences, for understanding how to accelerate progress in the face of increasing climate disruption.