Communicating Urban Climate: An International Overview

Urban climate phenomena significantly affect the well-being of city populations. However, recent studies reveal limited awareness of urban climate among key stakeholders who shape climate adaptation efforts. Communication offers a promising means of addressing this gap and mobilising stakeholders towards effective adaptation. Yet, the effectiveness of communication in engaging these groups remains unclear. This study investigates how urban climate communication functions among key stakeholder groups: citizens, politicians, urban planners and designers, and urban climate experts, and examines its role in fostering awareness and driving action. This study employed a qualitative research design using key informant interviews with 92 experts across nine countries. The findings reveal a widespread need for improved communication, particularly stronger collaboration between urban climate experts and urban planners and designers. These groups hold essential knowledge and complementary expertise and should form closer partnerships with political decision-makers. Interviews revealed that two-thirds of urban planners and designers struggle to translate climate data into actionable strategies, citing inaccessible communication from experts. Two-thirds of respondents also identified a persistent disconnect between policymakers and citizens, resulting in fragmented adaptation efforts. The study underscores the importance of tailored, interactive communication strategies that account for diverse governance structures, socio-economic conditions, and development contexts across the countries examined. The findings highlight the urgency of strengthening urban climate communication to enable more inclusive, coordinated, and effective adaptation responses.