Learning How to Learn: The Experiences of 6 Global Cities in Tracking Urban Adaptation

The report examines how six cities (Athens, Auckland, Barcelona, Glasgow, Lima, and Montreal) are evolving their climate adaptation tracking. It finds a general tendency to focus on outputs rather than outcomes, but highlights innovative approaches such as participatory planning in Lima, vulnerability mapping in Glasgow, and the creation of 'climate shelters' in Barcelona to better measure actual benefits to populations.

• A previous study by the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) indicates that more than 70% of urban adaptation metrics prioritize measuring outputs, such as the implementation of actions, over outcomes, such as the actual benefits provided to the population.
• Cities are facing significant constraints in time, cost, and resourcing for data collection, leading some to simplify their indicators. For instance, Montreal reduced its indicators from 1,608 in its first plan to 8 overarching ones in its current plan, while Athens shifted toward key performance indicators (KPIs) to ease data collection.
• Participatory processes are being used to ensure adaptation benefits local communities. Lima established a Metropolitan Technical Group on Climate Change and Water Resources involving NGOs, youth, and community groups, and created an Environmental Council of Girls and Boys to inform a climate plan for children and a vision to 2050.
• Barcelona is using specific projects to pioneer the collection of outcome data, such as the Climate Shelters project. As of 2021, the city has 155 climate shelters, ensuring 87.6% of the population lives within a 10-minute walk of one.
• Glasgow has avoided traditional indicators in favor of vulnerability mapping and social impact analysis to prioritize social justice. This approach, also mirrored in Lima and Montreal, uses repeated vulnerability assessments as an alternative to traditional indicators for assessing adaptation outcomes.
• Becoming a 'learning organisation' requires breaking down institutional silos and fostering a culture of buy-in before implementing data platforms. Athens achieved this by collaborating across departments to create green infrastructure climate maps, while Auckland is surveying its entire council to identify existing monitoring synergies.

APA

Lewis, W., & Olazabal, M. (2021). Learning How to Learn: The Experiences of 6 Global Cities in Tracking Urban Adaptation. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/202110280132481028930300.pdf

Chicago

Lewis, William, and Marta Olazabal. Learning How to Learn: The Experiences of 6 Global Cities in Tracking Urban Adaptation. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2021. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/202110280132481028930300.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lewis |first1=William |last2=Olazabal |first2=Marta |title=Learning How to Learn: The Experiences of 6 Global Cities in Tracking Urban Adaptation |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=October 2021 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/202110280132481028930300.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lewis2021learning, author = {Lewis, William and Olazabal, Marta}, title = {{Learning How to Learn: The Experiences of 6 Global Cities in Tracking Urban Adaptation}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/202110280132481028930300.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }