Dynamic Climate Adaptation Strategies. Bådparken Project for Coastal and Port Areas of Aalborg Vestby

Abstract

The manifestations of climate change, characterized by a greater frequency of extreme weather events and rising sea levels, represent an unprecedented challenge that requires adaptable and far-sighted public policies. In urban contexts, the impact of climate change is particularly pronounced, requiring specific urban planning strategies that are not only adaptive and reactive, but also preventive. However, the complex dynamics of climate change and the extent of sea level rise present a high degree of uncertainty that grows exponentially with increasing time. Managing uncertainty, particularly the profound uncertainty linked to sea level rise, is a challenge in adapting to climate change. A new paradigm for planning under conditions of deep uncertainty has emerged in the literature: the “Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways” (DAPP) which provides an analytical approach to explore and sequence a series of possible actions based on alternative developments over time and adaptation strategies to deal with changing circumstances. The DAPP method was used for the Bådparken climate adaptation project in the coastal and port area of Vestby in Aalborg (DK). The area is subject to flooding due to rising sea levels and more frequent storms; the project includes a series of complementary strategies to mitigate risks, adapt architecture to coexist with water and make the city safer.