Adaptation of Urban Regions of the Baltic Sea Coast to Climate Change: Challenges and Approaches

Climate change is occurring and its potential impacts pose manifold risks for the Baltic Sea Region. Due to their exposure, coastal urban regions are highly vulnerable to possible effects of climate change, like for instance sea level rise, floods or extreme weather events. Also, the urban regions are characterized by complex and manifold internal and external interplays and pressures for spatial development. In the first part, the article presents the particular conditions of coastal urban regions as well as the relevance of urban and regional planning in adapting to climate change. The second part refers to two selected urban regions of the Baltic Sea Region (Stockholm and Copenhagen) and their approaches of adaptation to climate change impacts, based on a documentary analysis. The third part presents an orientation for adaptation strategies from the urban and regional planning perspective. This includes the suggestion of comprehensive approaches with the integration of sectoral planning, of a regional focus as well as of an iterative and flexible planning. More specifically are proposed to tackle the following fields of activity: building aspects, open spaces, infrastructure and services and complex and spatially relevant social processes.