Within the framework of the EU Life+ Project BLUEAP (Bologna Local Urban Adaptation Plan for a resilient city), the City of Bologna (IT) identified and analysed risks, hazards and main vulnerabilities related to climate change, water scarcity, heat waves, extreme weather events. Drawing on its local vulnerabilities, Bologna's Adaptation Plan in 2015 outlined the strategy and actions in the management of green space and water by the different levels of government in the territory. The Plan consists of a local strategy and an Action Plan that translates these strategies into measures. Strategy and Plan make reference to a medium-term time frame until 2025. In the light of the plan a package of integrated pilot actions has been launched: drinking water saving and water treatment, collection and storage of rainwater, targeted use of plant species to improve the microclimate and reduce air pollution, pre-emptive insurance against risks. The plan was the final step of a participatory process which started with a study of the urban area in terms of ecosystems, population, population distribution and census, production activities, natural resources and of its main vulnerabilities related to climate change. The process continued with the ranking of potential risks and with stakeholder engagement to define actions for the Climate Adaptation Plan.

The Bologna Adaptation Plan can be considered a good practice for results achieved not only as a planning instrument, but also as a concrete collaborative action plan of the City which represents an example for cities that share Bologna’s climate conditions and urban and social environment. The structure of the Plan can be replicated in other medium-size cities, as well as some actions which are more suitable to their uses and needs. As the Plan is the final step of a participatory process which led to its editing, the whole process can be considered a good practice. The process starts with a downscaled climate analysis, a study of the area in terms of ecosystems, population, population distribution and census, production activities, natural resources and its main vulnerabilities related to climate change. Ranking of potential risks are derived from such vulnerabilities. Afterwards the stakeholder engagement process led to the identification of actions for the bottom-up editing of the Plan, together with a top-down engagement leading to more effective governance through collaborative problem solving, also with public-private partnerships.

Adaptation to climate change needs a cross-cutting approach for successful implementation, as many issues and actors are involved. Adaptation is also strongly linked to sustainability in a broad sense, as every action has to be considered in terms of its economic, human and social costs and benefits. From this perspective, the Bologna Adaptation Plan is committed to the values of a more sustainable environment for urban living and health. The decrease of vulnerable populations exposed to the effects of climate change is one of the key pillars of the Plan. All the actions aiming to increase resilience to heat waves, for example, also have an important impact on social cohesion. As already pointed out, Bologna’s practice takes a holistic approach to improving resilience actions, whose effectiveness is considered in relationship with the environmental compartments and the social and environmental tissue. For example, all the actions to strengthen resilience to drought take into account the interaction with bodies of water and are strongly related to measures to increase soil permeability in more vulnerable areas. The integration of actions and measures from a local to a metropolitan scale was possible only through a strong stakeholder involvement of decision-makers, public bodies, companies, citizens and research institutes. They all were involved in different roundtables with specific themes, in restricted sessions and workshops.

Bologna enjoys a tradition of environmental protection and the creation of participation pathways aimed at developing action plans, the sharing of objectives and the definition of steps. The Adaptation Plan has been built with a participatory course of collaboration, in which individuals are also actors of the plan’s steps. Starting with documents prepared within the project, a map of stakeholders in the territory was created. The individuals involved in the plan belong to Public Authorities, public and listed companies, the world of training, universities and schools, specialist agencies, service managers, multi-utilities, consortia, trade associations, consumer associations, environmental and territorial protection associations, businesses and foundations. From the intersection of vulnerabilities and individuals involved, a course of involvement was developed. The course included various meetings according to the categories to which the stakeholders belong (politicians, citizens, representatives of the production sector) and the phases of implementation of the steps outlined in the Plan. The political commitment was essential for the implementation of the actions, first of all because it involved directly many decision-makers and the city council as a whole, which officially approved the Plan. Moreover, an active political involvement strengthened the efforts made with all the stakeholders, as it gave full legitimacy to the process leading to the Adaptation Plan itself.

The Bologna practice achieved some results, as 10 pilot actions carried out successfully. Some of them are described below and concerned the Municipality Regulations, with the insertion of “New targets for water saving in the Building Code”, the “New arboreal varieties more adaptive to climate change in the Municipality Green Code”, and the “New guidelines for sustainable drainage” aimed at integrating the municipality guidelines for public works with SUDS technologies applicable to the local context of Bologna. A promotional campaign (“Green-up Bologna”) focused on the promotion of planting and terrace horticulture. The “Sustainable management of rain water in a new commercial building (Via Larga)” was planned within the Urban Building Plan (PUA). An agreement with an important insurance company increased information and knowledge transfer in the reduction of damages and losses in the Bologna area. A very important goal, even if not directly measurable, is the impact of the Adaptation Plan on the planning activity of the local authorities. Resilience is starting to become a point of discussion in decision-making and technical planning on the ground. Furthermore, thanks to the BLUEAP project, a new project called “RAINBO” started in 2016 and some actions of the Plan are now under evaluation for financing by the EIB (European Investment Bank).

Our practice would be interesting for other European cities committed to climate change adaptation. Even if adaptation topics need to be assessed locally, the methodology used for vulnerability and adaptation strategy assessment and implementation can be shared and discussed with other cities. The city of Bologna successfully experienced an exchange of good practices related to adaptation to climate change within the “City Twinning” programme promoted by the Mayors Adapt initiative. The two visiting cities (City of Lleida, Spain, and the Union of Terra di Leuca, Italy) came for a two-day visit to learn from Bologna’s experience with urban adaptation to climate change and to share common challenges as a result of climate change: water management (water scarcity, storm water, waste water, water supply, flooding); heat waves and urban heat islands, extreme water events that affect urban agriculture and biodiversity as well as posing hurdles to public health. The twinning visit was very fruitful for all the partners, and highlighted the need to build closer contacts between cities engaged in climate change adaptation topics. Knowledge transfer and peer-to-peer networks represent an important step to spread the good practice and to learn from other city experiences, with a special regard of methodologies used and problems encountered.

With a concentration of problems like lack of social cohesion, littering and damage to property in its 3 000-person multicultural district of Kaiser-Friedrich-Street (KEF),  the city of Pforzheim (DE) followed an integrated and participative approach to revitalise the district. In order to make the living environment more pleasant and to improve cohesion, the idea of an artistic project and greener spaces emerged from the population. At the initiative of  inhabitants, a sculpture mile with 100 new trees was created with the help of a local artist.  The sculptures with the trees improved the quality of time spent in the public spaces. Meeting points arose and contributed to intergenerational and intercultural exchanges. The new urban green space provides a significant contribution to the fight against climate change and the inhabitants have taken responsibility for their environment as tree sponsors. Likewise, the district has gained a new image through art.  The project is consciously designed on a long-term basis in which the existing works of art are replaced by new ones every three years.

Within the framework of the integrated urban development, a survey of strengths and weaknesses was carried out. Many problems in the neighbourhood, such as lack of cohesion, litter and damage to property, were due to the fact that many residents did not identify with their neighbourhood, and the district had a bad image within the whole city. The good practice offered the following solution: inhabitants strongly involved in the shaping of the previously disadvantaged neighbourhood and by the realisation of a renowned sculpture mile.

The identification the citizens have with their quarter has been significantly strengthened. The sculptures along with more than 100 new trees improved the quality of time spent in the public spaces. Meeting points arose, contributing to the activation of urban life and to intergenerational and intercultural exchange. New networks or productive neighbourhoods lead to the emergence of solutions from the district for other challenges, such as unemployment or the increase of anonymity. The new urban green space provides a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, and the inhabitants have taken responsibility for their environment as tree sponsors. The emergence of ownership through “Urban Nature” thus represents a formidable solution and has helped to strengthen the identity and self-confidence of the inhabitants. Likewise, the district has gained a new image through art.

In 2007, urban renewal began in the district of KEF. The starting point was a survey of existing strengths and weaknesses in the quarter within the framework of the Integrated Urban Development Approach. The overall goal is to create the best possible conditions for sustainable urban living in a deprived quarter involving all relevant stakeholders as civil society, practitioners, elected representatives, city and district managers or the private sector.

Within the framework of the integrated and sustainable urban development concept, the following tasks were defined as relevant: housing/residential environment; social and cultural infrastructure; identification, coexistence, active citizens; public space/transport; local supply/local economy; climate and the environment.

Progress and difficulties are summarised in an annual factual report.

To make the living environment more comfortable and to improve identification, the idea of an artistic project, together with a local artist, emerged from the population in addition to the streets being made greener.

The project Urban Nature was born. It is a sustainable and affordable practice bringing together social, cultural, economic and environmental actions. The project is consciously designed for the long term, in which the existing works of art are replaced by new ones every three years. Thus, the project is constantly being given new momentum.

From the start, the urban renewal process has followed an integrated and participatory approach. Urban Nature is a project of local citizens. The idea arose in the district council, consisting of 25 citizens and traders who meet once a month. Not all ideas and proposals can be implemented, but it is positive to note that citizens have a strong sense of cost-consciousness.

In addition, great importance is attached to the fact that the district council is involved in the implementation of the measures themselves. This clarifies that the body can express wishes, but they can only be implemented if citizens contribute. Due to the close cooperation among different stakeholders in the district council, the idea of the sculpture mile and the greenery quickly resulted in concrete plans. The city administration was responsible for setting the foundations for the sculptures, planting the trees, lighting etc. René Dantes, a local artist, created five sculptures. Citizens assume responsibility for the care of the trees and the sculptures. Companies from the district and the entire city committed themselves to sponsoring.

The good practice Urban Nature is a real example for community-based peacemaking with, and not for, communities. It is a project which demonstrates the strong commitment of local stakeholders in the development and implementation of the practice, which has led to a high level of acceptance and sustainability.

The concentration of numerous negative factors had resulted in a depreciation process with missing cohesion, misuse, damage to property. The sculpture mile Urban Nature has significantly contributed to the improvement of the situation in the district. The most important impacts are: Residents identify more strongly with their neighbourhood and with the sculpture closest to their home. They talk about the developments in the district and discuss the change, which was rarely the case before. The sculptures have also become important places for identification and encounter. The image of the neighbourhood has changed.

In addition, the trees contribute to the fight against climate change. The inhabitants take responsibility for their environment as tree mentors. There is no other district which provides such an abundance of possibilities for participation. Results achieved are:

• Creation of meeting points for the activation of the urban life as well as for intergenerational and intercultural exchange,
• Strengthening private retailers, service and commercial enterprises,
• Creating a new environment for sustainable urban living

As statistical data is not yet available for 2016, it is difficult to give evidence of impact. However, the stakeholders have the impression that the project resulted in a stabilisation of the social structure, mixed population and active neighbourhoods and overall improved the quality of the housing environment.

The Urban Nature project demonstrates how large numbers of citizens have been able to make major changes in a neighbourhood through the participation of numerous stakeholders. It shows that it does not always require large projects or large sums of money to achieve sustainable change and to positively change a neighbourhood. The project is certainly of great interest to other European cities. The importance of art and the environment is often underestimated in urban development projects. Urban Nature offers solutions to challenges faced by other European cities, such as demographic change, integration as well as climate change, by identifying a sustainable and affordable practice which cities can transfer to their local context.

It should be emphasised that the project originated from the district and thus the identification is particularly large. This gives other European cities the opportunity to transfer the knowledge, but still develop their own projects - adapted to the context on site. Due to the great reach and enthusiasm that the project has created in the region, there is certainly interest in Urban Nature in other cities.

Longford Town and County (IE) faced immense problems associated with a high number of unfinished housing developments – with health and safety risks including unlit streets, unfinished roads and improperly connected sewage. Longford County Council established a dedicated multi-disciplinary team tasked with addressing this issue within the county. The team was delegated powers authorising it to agree with developers on finishes within the development.
This ensured a one-stop shop and a consistent approach across all housing developments. While legal action was sometimes required, the team adopted a collaborative approach at all times, working together to find a solution to resolve the issues. This collaboration included working with developers, receivers, banks and residents of estates whose living conditions were directly affected. The end result was to improve the quality of life for residents and to establish pleasant places where people wish to live, work and visit.

Longford County Council was faced with an immense problem in terms of the scale of the unfinished estates within the administrative area of the municipality and had amongst the highest number of unfinished estates per head of population in the country. The good practice comprised of: • Establishment of a dedicated multi-disciplinary project team, the first such team in the country, comprising; • Ensuring the team had the authority to agree with developers on finishes and certify all works were completed to standards required by Longford County Council; • Establish a list of priorities and updating that regularly; • Obtaining good legal advice - which fed into National Guidance; • Engagement with stakeholders at all levels and at all stages, including developers, receivers, financial institutions and residents, but also the Department of Environment at national level; • Open communication and integrated approach by the Municipality - it was very important to keep all stakeholders informed throughout the process; • Calling in financial securities - using legal means where necessary but adopting a collaborative approach, rather than adversarial where possible; • Establishment of a Strategic Planning Group where needs of the area surpassed physical works.

The problems faced by Longford County Council affected the social, economic and physical environments of the town and county and its inhabitants. The good practice sought to address environmental issues, e.g. sewerage issues, health and safety issues, and making estates that had been deserted and abandoned by developers viable and attractive places to live, thereby protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for residents. The work of the Unfinished Estates team, in addition to the physical works to bring the estate back to a standard fit for purpose, was also to give those residents a voice, to listen to them and take their concerns on board in the development of Site Resolution Plans and to ensure at the end of the process that they had an improved quality of life. The Unfinished Estates team meant that there was a one-stop shop for both developers and residents, ensuring strong communications throughout the process both locally and nationally. Site Resolution Plans were drawn up using an integrated and participative approach, ensuring all voices were heard. The team adopted a collaborative approach when dealing with these. The Elected Members also had an important role in informing the process. The development of a Strategic Working Group in a specific area further ensures integration and a shared response to problems, supporting the many families that experienced problems due to the conditions of their area.

The Longford County Council Unfinished Estates team established a file for each unfinished development it addressed and kept records of all communications, including minutes of meetings, with the various stakeholders involved in the process. This record clearly sets out all the communications, how they were involved in the various stages of developing the Site Resolution Plan, the ongoing work on the site and any arising issues as work progressed. A very positive and public acknowledgement of the participatory approach was evidenced in the judge's comments concerning the case of work at Edgeworthstown; he noted that the town is underpinned by a very committed and astute local group that has an impressive list of achievements. But it was the strategic and collaborative approach adopted that really impressed the judge.

From an environmental and economic point of view, these estates were a blight on the landscape. People living in them lived in constant fear due to health and safety concerns, roads were not finished, public lighting was not installed, sewerage was not properly connected and there were areas of estates that were still building sites, with exposed unfinished developments and open holes presenting serious concerns. All of these priority issues, in terms of health and safety in particular, have been dealt with. These areas, which once were no-go areas in many instances are now attractive places to live and provide a safe environment for people to go about their business. On a social level, it has ensured that estates in which people were living in fear are now good quality places to live. This affects the quality of life of the residents. The team has helped establish residents associations, many of which have continued even after the Local Authority completed work in the area. The authority provides support and a social outlet for residents, many of whom may have been new to an area. Establishing a Strategic Working Group to address issues in Edgeworthstown has had a significant impact on the residents of the town through better integration, improved services and support and an improvement in the infrastructure in the town.

This initiative would be very interesting for many other European cities. There are many cities and towns throughout Europe who have experienced a decline in construction and more abandoned areas, particularly those that suffered most due to the economic crash, e.g. Spain, Portugal and Greece. However, outside those countries there are also many cities where particular areas may have suffered similar problems, albeit not at the scale to which Longford did. Longford County Council's approach to dealing with the issue, identifying priorities - ensuring open communication between all stakeholders at all times, providing a one-stop shop for contact, having the power of decision-making within the team to ensure that matters were dealt with in a timely manner - can be applied to many different examples of unfinished developments across a broad spectrum. It has also been very important to identify areas of particular problems and establish a Strategic Working Group and focus on that area. This clearly illustrates that the team did not solely focus on the physical issues within estates but also looked at the impact on people's lives and how the work they do can improve the quality of life for those people.

People from all over Budapest (HU) take part in the city's Weekend of Open Houses – Budapest100, a festival that opens the gates of 50-60 houses and institutions each year. The event has become a tradition since its launch in 2011, with attendance reaching 20,000 visitors during the weekend.
Between 2011 and 2015 it was organised as a community-building initiative celebrating 100-year-old Budapest buildings, with the cooperation of citizens, NGOs, public institutions and district municipalities. Its main aim is to draw attention to local buildings, their architectural value and history - and to the civilian power that organises residential communities and holds them together. Since 2016, the event has been structured around a given theme or location.
The broad mission of Budapest100 is to initiate a common discussion about revival and inspire the establishment and strengthening of residential communities.

The solution offered by Budapest100 is threefold. It contributes to reforming urban community co-existence, to change the relationship between residents and the city and to help people become more responsible citizens. The weekend of open houses initiates common discussion about urban revival, underlines the values of the built environment and takes action against social isolation. Throughout Europe there are similar initiatives, but with a much lower social impact. The examples are mainly concentrating on the built environment, letting the audience enter a building and sharing with them the most important data, collected and presented by experts. Budapest100, on the other hand, adds the factors of community-building and creating value. In the apartment blocks joining the programme, residents prepare in a self-organized way (with the help of volunteers) exhibitions, cultural events, concerts and give building-history tours for the visiting audiences. The strength of the event lies in creating a demand to share and value transfer. The easiest way of social mobilisation is to create emotional engagement. The festival creates a platform for telling the stories behind closed doors and to start dialogues. Budapest100 has highlighted the possibilities of a cleverly organised, friendly city involving the residents.

Through its strong community development focus, its link to informal education, social isolation and nurturing of local organisers, Budapest100 essentially includes the social aspect related to integrated urban development. Both economic and environmental aspects of urban development are tackled by the fact that residents form communities within the programme and are more alert to physical degradation. Many apartment blocks started repeating community action in a self-organising way after Budapest100, resulting in renovations and smaller architectural changes, not to mention self-organised actions. Besides mobilising internal efforts (local people caring more), Budapest100 also draws the attention of tourists, local businesses and municipalities. The real economic impact potentially achieved through these actors is significant, even if indirect. Budapest100 not only addresses the city-loving audience, but a wide range of professionals, namely architects, landscape architects and urban planners, and initiates a common discourse on the themes affecting the city and its people. During the months of the preparations for the weekend festival a significant number of volunteers are involved and trained, who get in touch with the buildings which respond to the open call. In line with the above progress of the initiative, in 2016 the festival departed from the historical aspect of celebrating 100-year-old houses (because as a consequence of WW1 there were no buildings to celebrate) and has started to be organised around a theme. In 2016 the topic was the Grand Boulevard of Budapest, in 2017 the Danube quays, in 2018 the squares of the city while in 2019 the Bauhaus heritage.

Budapest100 was launched by the Open Society Archives and is organised by the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre, an NGO dedicated to the dissemination of architectural practices. Budapest metropolitan and district municipalities aid the organisation by financial and in-kind support (human resources, data, communication). Since the 2011 beginning, the event has been performed with a constantly growing infrastructure and press attention, with many partners joining the initiative. The festival uses already successful methods in a further developed way: recruiting a network of 150 volunteers and involving researchers. Their composition is mixed across ages and professions, including students, retired people, architects, employees of companies and artists. There is no declared hierarchical relationship among the various actors, the structure is transparent, with open communication. Residents and volunteers are realising community programmes together alongside the principles articulated by the core team of Budapest100: culture development, information transfer, preservation of values and community cooperation. Along with the programmes in the houses, workshops and discussions on urban planning also take place attracting professionals and decision-makers. The core team pays attention to the residents and makes sure they are getting involved in these discussions, so they have the opportunity to offer their own opinions and ideas.

In the past ten years, Budapest100 has opened the gates of 50 to 60 houses and institutions yearly. Based on the feedback from involved residents, the weekends were full of experiences and lessons learnt. Many of them have highlighted that they would never have thought that so many people would be interested in their lives or their neighbourhoods. In an indirect way the festival offered them the feeling of uniqueness and importance and created conditions for neighbourhoods working together towards a common goal, making the residents’ voices heard. Local communities became stronger through the access to knowledge that helps them get closer to their own stories, their buildings and through that their cities, making them feel responsible. A more concrete success is that many apartment blocks started repeating community actions in a self-organised way following Budapest100, resulting in renovations and smaller architectural changes or organising a yard picnic or concert. The festival also got international reputation: in 2013 the Guardian chose the festival as one of the most interesting programmes of the continent, and it also received one of the prizes in “The most beautiful city feast” by Lebendige Stadt Stiftung, Hamburg. Besides the URBACT good practice label Budapest100 has become a part of the Cultural Heritage in Action Programme too.

After being awarded the URBACT Good Practice title, Újbuda was able to create the Come In! Transfer Network to which six European cities (Gheorgheni RO, Forlì IT, Varaždin HR, Pori FI, Plasencia ES, Targówek/Warsaw PL) were invited. Actually, Újbuda itself also used the method of Budapest100 in another target area, Őrmező, a prefabricated housing estate. Equipped by URBACT with a toolkit, the cities could learn from each other. The transfer process was not one-sided, during the transnational meetings the existing practices of some of the transfer cities inspired Újbuda and contributed to the development of ideas to further improve the Good Practice in the following ways. 1. Organisation of spin-off activities besides the annual big festival (like the event in the Castle District of Budapest). This has partly been inspired by the Come in! project partners which transferred the good practice in neighbourhoods and not in fragmented houses through the entire city centre. 2. Reflection on modern built environment during the annual festival. It already happened that the topic of prefabricated housing estates was one among the potential topics. Most likely one of the next BP100 festivals will reflect on modern heritage. 3. Budapest100 was inspired by the Forli website as well. In Budapest there is a massive database of houses involved in the last years, but the Italian website is very professional in terms of highlighting storytelling. This was one of the key themes of the Come in! network: describing the stories of the places (in a website and on the spot) can extend the effect of the festival, making it permanent, not only one-off event. 4. Using design thinking workshop methods as a further motivation for the volunteers. 5. Moving forward from celebration to joint placemaking actions on super local level (e.g. building an inner garden in a patio).