Australian urban planners’ preparedness to act on climate change

Land use and development patterns have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and on managing the risk that climate change poses. Thus, urban planners play a critical role in addressing climate change, working with diverse built environment actors such as landscape architects. However, research indicates that while urban planners know about climate change, their self-perceived skills and competence are limited. This paper seeks to understand the preparedness of Australian urban planners to act on climate change (both mitigating GHG emissions and adapting to climate change impacts). Through in-depth interviews with 23 diverse Australian urban planners, preparedness to act on climate change is explored using Moser and Luers’ AAA climate change preparedness theory: Awareness of climate change; Analytical capacity to address climate change; and Actions taken to address climate change. Most respondents were able to identify climate change risks (awareness). Climate change risks were being assessed (analytical capacity) at a minimum through planning policy and tools informed by flood modelling and other risk assessments. In more progressive practice, planners draw upon internal or external climate change expertise beyond the planning system tools. The most frequently stated action taken by respondents to address climate change was the development of policies and strategies within their own organisation – from development of climate adaptation plans by those working in government, to organisational sustainability plans for those in the private sector. Results indicate the urban planning system is at times a facilitator of climate change action. A proportion of respondents were only exposed to climate change information, analytical capacity and actions due to planning tools. A framework of climate change preparedness was developed, demonstrating examples of low to high preparedness observed across respondents. The paper identifies characteristics of urban planning cliamte change front-runners, and suggests ways to progress climate change action through urban planning practice.