New European programme established to integrate climate change adaptation into regional planning

A network of leading organisations involved in integrating climate change adaptation into regional planning and development has been established across Europe. The new Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco Towns (GRaBS) project will facilitate the much needed exchange of knowledge and experience, and the actual transfer of good practice on climate change adaptation strategies to local and regional authorities.

In a highly competitive bidding process the GRaBS project beat off competition from almost 500 applicants to the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) INTERREG IVC Programme to be one of only 35 successful projects going forward.

Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) Chief Executive and GRaBS project leader Gideon Amos said: 'We are delighted that the GRaBS project has won funding from the EU INTERREG IVC Programme. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are now at their highest for 3 million years and as a result urban areas are vulnerable to increased temperatures and flooding.

'Regional spatial planning and urban design can provide solutions that make our communities less vulnerable to these risks.

'Green infrastructure including gardens, parks, productive landscapes, green corridors and green roofs and walls and blue infrastructure such as water bodies, rivers, streams, floodplains and sustainable drainage systems, play a vital role in creating climate resilient development, a role, which is currently not sufficiently recognised and utilised and lacks integration in main stream planning.'

By advancing the knowledge and expertise of partner staff through the GRaBS project, decisions makers, politicians and communities, and regional and local municipalities across Europe will be able to make a more informed and strategic response to climate change adaptation.

In the long term communities will reduce their vulnerability to the environmental, social and economic damage related to climate change impacts including extreme temperature increases and flooding incidents.

From Greece to Manchester, Lithuania to Austria, Italy to Sweden and Slovakia to Southampton the 14 partners, drawn from nine member states, represent a broad spectrum of authorities, climate change challenges and with varying degrees of strategic policy and experience.

The project has been co-financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme.