A Participatory Approach to Urban Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

Adapting the built environment to climate change-related risks, particularly for vulnerable communities, is crucial as the impacts of climate change intensify. The most vulnerable communities bear the heaviest impact, facing disproportionate exposure to natural hazards like flooding, landslides, and extreme weather events. Adaptation strategies based on resilient urban design, infrastructure adaptation, and nature-based solutions reduce community vulnerability to these impacts. However, long-term success relies on active community involvement to ensure these adaptations are sustainable, and effective. Through collaboration between external experts, and local communities, participatory processes for adapting the built environment to climate change not only address immediate risks but also create a foundation for a more resilient, and self-sustaining future. This research aims to identify key knowledge gaps, barriers, and best practices in citizen participation for developing innovative solutions. As an exploratory step, it lays the groundwork for a strong methodological framework supporting participatory co-design, and co-production models for climate change adaptation in vulnerable communities. This study compares various participatory methods, and analyzes forms of participation, such as the number of involved actors, community characteristics, community empowerment strategies, and achieved successes. This approach develops a methodology that can be applied to future interventions, ensuring effective collaboration with the communities in the case study area. By analyzing different participatory processes, and examining the unique characteristics of each community, this research aims to explore how tailored approaches to participation can generate more sustainable, and impactful outcomes in addressing local challenges. Participatory approaches encourage active engagement, which not only help in crafting solutions tailored to the community's unique needs but also foster a sense of ownership, thereby increasing the likelihood of acceptance, and sustainability over time.