Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transformational adaptation

The document distinguishes between incremental adaptation, which improves existing practices, and transformational adaptation, which involves systemic structural changes to address the root causes of vulnerability. It argues that as climate risks in Alberta increase—including rising temperatures and more variable precipitation—cities like Calgary and Edmonton may need to adopt transformational approaches to avoid unsustainable development paths. The text outlines qualities of a resilient city, such as flexibility and integration, and uses the Netherlands' Delta Programme as a case study of a proactive, systems-based approach to flood management. It concludes with strategic, regulatory, and community recommendations to enable transformational change.

• Alberta is experiencing rising temperatures, particularly in winter, and more frequent heat waves. Mean annual temperatures are projected to increase by 2.0°C by the 2030s and 4.0°C by the 2060s relative to the 1990s, depending on greenhouse gas emissions.
• Incremental adaptation focuses on improving the efficiency of conventional practices and technologies, such as strengthening flood defenses or increasing water reservoir sizes. In contrast, transformational adaptation involves systemic structural change to address the root causes of vulnerability and can be either reactive (triggered by a disaster) or planned (deliberate efforts to address underlying failures).
• A resilient city is characterized by qualities including flexibility, redundancy, robustness, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, inclusiveness, and integration. These qualities enable cities to survive and grow despite disruptions and facilitate the implementation of transformational adaptation measures.
• The Netherlands' Delta Programme, initiated in 2008, serves as an example of transformational adaptation by shifting from a traditional focus on flood prevention to a systems-based approach aimed at minimizing flood damage. This includes the 'Room for Rivers' program (2007–2019), which restores landscapes to create more space for floodwaters.
• Several barriers can hinder transformational adaptation, including the high perceived upfront costs, the potential for unintended consequences due to system complexity, and resistance from stakeholders who benefit from existing power structures.
• To enable transformational adaptation, the cities of Calgary and Edmonton are encouraged to adopt strategic actions such as participatory scenario processes, regulatory actions like mainstreaming climate risk into budgets, and community initiatives inspired by movements like Transition Towns or 100 Resilient Cities.

APA

Parry, J.-E. (2017). Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transformational adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transformational-adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Parry, Jo-Ellen. Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transformational adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transformational-adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parry |first1=Jo-Ellen |title=Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transformational adaptation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transformational-adaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parry2017building, author = {Parry, Jo-Ellen}, title = {{Building a Climate-Resilient City: Transformational adaptation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-transformational-adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }