IN-PLAN PRACTICE
Online Version
All European countries are obliged to draw up National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) in order to achieve the EU’s common climate targets. Sweden’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) from 2020 outlines the country’s strategy to meet its energy and climate goals through decarbonisation, increased energy efficiency and security, market integration, and innovation. Building on existing targets, policies, and measures, the plan explores various scenarios to achieve these objectives. It establishes Sweden’s political commitment, based on policies and targets adopted by the Swedish parliament and includes the outcomes of consultations held by the Swedish parliament’s Trade Committee on guiding principles and the European Commission’s recommendations. This demonstrates Sweden’s dedication to achieving its energy and climate objectives through a structured and comprehensive approach. Therefore, the plan aims to achieve a climate-neutral future through sustainable measures and technological advances. A good and valid NECP can serve as a basis for argumentation for the integration of climate measures into spatial planning.
Reference: se_final_necp_main_en_0.pdf (europa.eu)
The Horizon Europe Mission 100 initiative introduces the Climate City Contract (CCC), a new governance tool to help cities address their barriers to reaching climate neutrality by 2030. This tool involves a collaborative process with local, regional, and national stakeholders, including both public and private actors. The CCC consists of three interlinked components:
The CCC is a dynamic, digital document that will be periodically updated to include new stakeholders and commitments. Cities can seek validation from the European Commission for a “Mission Label,” which facilitates access to EU funding and resources. The framework is flexible, allowing cities to adapt it to their needs and collaborate regionally or nationally.
Reference: NetZeroCities
“Powering Aberdeen: Aberdeen’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan” is an extensive strategic document designed to enhance the sustainability of Aberdeen’s energy supply and diminish CO2-emissions. Its primary objectives include promoting renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, and fostering sustainable urban development. To accomplish these aims, the plan underscores the importance of clear leadership and a robust governance structure. Stakeholder workshops underscored the critical need for effective leadership in advancing the plan. Therefore, the Aberdeen City Council is proposed to assume this role, with active involvement from all stakeholders in its execution. This leadership will be exercised at both strategic and operational levels, facilitated by the establishment of a steering group, program board, and thematic sub-groups. These measures will ensure equitable distribution of responsibilities and comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Ultimately, Powering Aberdeen serves not only as a strategy for advancing sustainable energy but also as a framework for concerted and holistic action among relevant stakeholders to cultivate an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly city.
Reference: Powering Aberdeen Appendix 1.pdf (aberdeencity.gov.uk)
The RACI-Matrix is a tried and tested project management tool that is used to clearly structure the roles and responsibilities within a team or organisation. The acronym “RACI” – for “Responsible”, “Accountable”, “Consulted” and “Informed” – is used to define the various areas of responsibility. This enables a precise allocation of responsibilities for each task or activity to ensure that all team members understand who is responsible for what, who can make decisions, who needs to be consulted and who is merely informed. Through this clear structuring, the RACI-matrix contributes to efficient communication, decision-making and execution of projects.
Reference: Responsibility assignment matrix – Wikipedia
A Gantt chart, widely used in project management, visually maps out the sequence of activities within a project schedule using horizontal bars, making it easy to display activities (tasks or events) against time. The charts illustrate the start and end dates of project components, while also showcasing how tasks are linked together. Gantt charts are invaluable for planning complex processes and tracking progress. To delve deeper into the structural framework, the left side of the Gantt chart lists the activities, while the top displays a suitable time scale. Each activity is represented by a bar, whose position and length reflect the start date, duration, and end date of the activity. This visual representation allows you to see at a glance what the various activities are, when each activity begins and ends, how long each activity is scheduled to last, where activities overlap with other activities and by how much, and the start and end date of the entire project. In summary, a Gantt chart shows you what activities need to be done and when.
Reference: What is a Gantt Chart? Gantt Chart Software, Information, and History
The Open Innovation model is an approach where organisations leverage both internal and external ideas, resources, and technologies to enhance their innovation processes. Instead of relying solely on internal research and development, they actively involve external stakeholders, including partners, research institutions and the general public. This collaborative method allows for the faster development of innovative solutions by tapping into a wider pool of knowledge and creativity. It also helps to reduce costs and risks associated with innovation, as external inputs can provide fresh perspectives and identify potential pitfalls early. By opening up their innovation processes, organisations can create more effective and diverse solutions, ultimately leading to improved products and services.
Reference: Open Innovation vs. Closed Innovation (lead-innovation.com)
A Power-Interest matrix is a project management tool that categorises stakeholders according to their influence and interest in the project. Stakeholders with high influence and high interest should be intensively involved and informed, while those with high influence but low interest should be satisfied and kept regularly informed. Stakeholders with low influence and high interest should be informed regularly, while those with low influence and low interest should be monitored occasionally. This tool helps to organise stakeholder communication and involvement efficiently to ensure the success of the project.
RothNEUsiedl is evolving into a community-driven district where residents will become active city planners, contributing their ideas and wishes to the development process. The project incorporates various participation formats such as events and online surveys, and has established the “Future Team” RothNEUsiedl. This team acts as an interface between Vienna’s residents and planners, integrating public input into the vision development.
The “Future Team”, comprising 21 members, includes representatives from academia, agriculture, and other local stakeholders, alongside 14 randomly selected residents from a pool. The team ensures gender and age diversity in its composition. Its roles include:
The “Future Team” met four times during the urban and open space planning competition to discuss submissions and offer citizen-centred recommendations, continuing its mediator role throughout the vision development process.
Reference: RothNEUsiedl Stadtentwicklungsgebiet – Stadt Wien
A risk matrix is a tool used to assess and visualise risks by comparing their likelihood against the severity of their consequences. It helps management by providing a clear view of potential risks and supports decision-making processes. The risk assessment matrix, or risk control matrix, identifies the probability of project risks and evaluates their potential impact. This matrix offers a visual representation, categorising risks based on their likelihood and impact levels, making it easier for team members and stakeholders to understand and prioritise risks.
For instance, a 5×5 risk matrix features a grid with categories for likelihood ranging from very likely to very unlikely (along the X axis) and impact ranging from insignificant to catastrophic (along the Y axis). This comprehensive tool simplifies risk representation and reduces the need for complex quantitative analyses. By systematically evaluating risks, it ensures that significant threats are addressed effectively. Overall, the risk matrix streamlines risk management by providing a straightforward, visual way to prioritise risks based on their probability and impact.
Reference: Risk matrix – Wikipedia
The Let’s Fill the Streets with Life programme in Barcelona is based on various municipal plans and commitments, including the Barcelona Commitment to Climate, Urban Mobility Plan, and Green and Biodiversity Plan. These plans aim to combat climate change, improve urban mobility, and enhance green spaces in the city. The establishment of the Superblock Model aligns with these goals by creating synergies and coordinating efforts across sectors. The Superblock Programme, initiated from 2012- 2015, began with pilot areas and involved public participatory meetings to analyse the areas and establish initiatives for change. The current Municipal Action Plan continues this initiative, aiming to promote more superblocks across the city to create a more human, eco-friendly Barcelona with sustainable mobility and increased green spaces.
Reference: en_gb_MESURA GOVERN SUPERILLES.pdf (barcelona.cat)
The City of Karlovac in Croatia is pioneering the integration of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) measures into its spatial and zoning plans, marking the first such initiative in the country. Supported by the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency, Karlovac aims to create Croatia’s first green spatial and zoning plan, aligning urban development with sustainability and environmental protection goals. This innovative approach empowers local governments to enforce sustainable development pathways using existing tools. Karlovac has already presented a draft of zoning changes and climate measures, focusing on a brownfield area within the city. This plan mandates the implementation of green infrastructure, preservation of natural areas, and the exclusion of fossil fuels for heat production, relying instead on the city’s district heating system or renewable sources. This exceeds the national standard for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings.
Reference: Adapting to climate change through spatial planning (europa.eu)
The Dutch Cycling Embassy is a public-private network of experts who advocate for sustainable and inclusive bicycle mobility. One of their services is a collection of good practice examples for cycling infrastructure and initiatives as well as a knowledge base with more than 600 blog posts on cases and experiences related to bicycle mobility. The website is regularly updated with inspiring news on improvements for cycling in the Netherlands and around the world. Thematic platforms like these can be useful sources when researching good practice cases for your own municipality. European research projects often include outputs that collect good practices for specific issues. Learning from others can be extremely helpful to develop your own strategies, plans and activities.
Reference: DCE (dutchcycling.nl)
A PESTEL analysis in spatial planning evaluates external factors affecting land use and urban development. It stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors. In terms of political factors, it may include government policies, zoning regulations, and political stability, which impact infrastructure and land allocation. Economic factors involve funding availability, economic growth, and employment rates, influencing investment in urban projects. Social factors encompass demographic trends, population growth, and community needs, guiding the design of residential areas and public spaces. Technological factors assess advancements in construction, transportation, and smart city technologies, impacting the efficiency of urban planning. Environmental factors consider ecological impacts, climate change, and resource management, ensuring sustainable development. Legal factors cover land use laws, environmental regulations, and building codes that must be followed. By analysing these factors, spatial planners can develop strategies that balance development needs with regulatory requirements and community well-being, promoting sustainable and effective urban and regional planning.
Reference: Context analysis – PESTEL – EXACT External Wiki – EN – EC Public Wiki (europa.eu)
The City of Vienna’s online city map is an accessible tool that provides a wealth of geo-information to the public. The map includes layers with essential information for everyday life, such as public transport routes, cycle paths, and public facilities in education, health, culture, and social services. It also features the zoning and development plan, monument protection details, world heritage sites, and many other planning-relevant contents. This publicly accessible map is a small part of Vienna’s extensive and well-organised GIS database, which supports numerous analyses and offers a reliable planning basis for various spatial projects. This data foundation promotes transparency and informed decision-making in the City of Vienna.
Reference: Vienna City Map (wien.gv.at)
The CIRO Database (Climatic Information and Reference for the Operationalisation of Regional services) for climate data of Italian regions is managed by ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale). This database provides comprehensive information about the climate in various regions of Italy, including historical data, climate forecasts, and specific meteorological parameters. It serves as a valuable resource for decision-makers, researchers, and the public by offering precise and reliable climate information for planning, research purposes, and addressing issues related to climate change.
Developed within the project HeatNet NWE, part-funded through the Interreg NWE programme, this document guides decision-makers in creating heat maps for 4th generation district heating and cooling. These maps help match energy demand with local resources, showing heat density, current supply sources, and potential renewable or waste heat sources. The guide details data aggregation processes and lists available resources in North-West Europe. It points to helpful European projects like Hotmaps and PlanHeat, which offer integrated heat mapping tools. Additionally, it presents heat mapping examples from Dublin and Plymouth to inspire other local authorities.
Reference: 20190826-_-wp-t3-_-d11-_-guide-to-heatmapping-_-final.pdf (nweurope.eu)
The Croatian capital Zagreb has developed an Energy Atlas (GIS database and tool) with some detailed energy-related data for buildings, including their energy consumption, building type, number of occupants, energy refurbishment rate.
Reference: Energetski atlas (arcgis.com)
The Newspaper of Tomorrow tool helps create a shared vision for a project by projecting into the future. When stakeholders with diverse perspectives come together, this tool fosters participatory and collaborative work, overcoming differing objectives. It engages stakeholders by having them imagine how a newspaper, magazine, or blog would discuss the project or solution in two to five years. They create headlines, sub-headlines, storylines, and relevant images, and if time permits, start the article.
The exercise is structured in steps: first, participants answer pre-written questions on sticky notes to define the topic; second, a group conversation identifies potential headlines; third, a consensus is reached on one effective headline with explanations and quotes. This tool is ideal for city practitioners and local stakeholders, particularly at the beginning of a project, to create a unified vision and can be used in brainstorming and ideation workshops.
Reference: Newspaper of Tomorrow | urbact.eu
The Double Diamond model is a design framework consisting of four phases. Firstly, in the Discover phase, the focus is on exploring and comprehensively understanding the problem or challenge. Next, in the Define phase, the scope narrows down, and the problem is precisely defined. Following this, in the Develop phase, concrete solutions are generated and prototyped. Finally, in the Deliver phase, the selected solutions are implemented and brought to fruition. This model emphasises both divergent thinking, where a wide range of ideas is explored, and convergent thinking, where the best ideas are selected and refined. It provides a structured approach for teams to develop innovative solutions while ensuring they effectively meet the requirements and needs.
Reference: The double diamond model – Kaospilot
“Barcelona’s Climate Plan 2018-2030” represents a comprehensive and inclusive approach to tackling climate change. It involves a wide range of stakeholders, including citizens and organisations, in shaping its ambitious goals. The plan sets clear targets, aiming for a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. Collaboration and inclusivity are emphasised throughout the planning process, with extensive input gathered from diverse voices. This participatory approach ensures that the plan reflects the needs and priorities of the community. Beyond emissions reduction, the plan prioritises adaptation measures, climate justice, and citizen empowerment. It underscores Barcelona’s commitment to sustainable development. A designated Climate Office monitors and implements the city’s Climate Plan. This department coordinates actions into strategic plans and budgets and community outreach, including the work with non-governmental organisations. The plan serves as a blueprint for other cities, demonstrating the importance of collective action and holistic strategies in addressing climate change. Barcelona’s Climate Plan embodies the city’s proactive stance and determination to create a more sustainable and equitable future.
Reference: climate_plan_maig.pdf (barcelona.cat)
In 1986, Freiburg became one of the first German cities to establish an Environmental Protection Office, which supported the implementation of environmental policies. Often seen as a model city for integrated and sustainable urban development, Freiburg has an integrated waste management concept. The city introduced the organic waste bin already in 1997 and the organic waste is also used energetically. This is a good practice example for the combination of waste management and energy production. Additionally, Freiburg developed a comprehensive climate adaptation concept in collaboration with various city offices to address increasing heat stress. This concept identifies critical “hot spots” and outlines measures to mitigate heat stress, incorporating broader urban planning elements such as relief areas and water management. This initiative won the “Climate Adaptation” category in the 2019 “Climate-active communes” competition.
Reference: Startseite – Green City Freiburg – www.freiburg.de/greencity –
URBACT is a co-founded program by the EU, which supports the networking and knowledge building of European cities towards sustainable urban development. The mission is to empower cities to work together and create comprehensive solutions to shared urban challenges. URBACT published guidelines for co-producing an integrated action plan for projects that take part in their Action Planning Networks. An integrated action plan is the roadmap of strategies and plans and defines the actions, specifies the timetable, the responsibilities for implementation and the costs and other factors of the measures. The guideline set out the main components, structure and methods for creating IAPs. In its guidelines, URBACT suggests separating the IAP components into one part, which represents the context and the process, and another part, which concludes the actual action plan. The IAPs of the various projects and cities can be downloaded from the URBACT website. These include the IAPS of Breda and Ponzan mentioned above.
References: You can find the action plans of the Health & Greenspace projects here; Action Plan Breda; Action Plan Poznan; Guideline: How to produce an IAP? (Urbact).
The SUMP Self-Assessment is useful for identifying potential measures to improve urban mobility planning. By evaluating various aspects of the urban transportation system, cities and municipalities can identify weaknesses and areas where improvements or new measures are needed. Based on the results of the self-assessment, concrete actions can then be developed to make mobility more efficient, environmentally friendly, and enjoyable for residents. These measures can vary from enhancing public transportation to promoting cycling and implementing traffic calming measures, depending on the specific needs and challenges of each city or municipality.
Reference: SUMP (sump-assessment.eu)
Decide Madrid is the digital platform for public participation created by the Madrid City Council in 2015. It serves as an e-participation tool that uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to engage citizens and other stakeholders in public decision-making processes. The platform encompasses both participatory agendas and administrative activities. It offers five sections for participation: debates, proposals, polls, processes, and participatory budgeting. Besides citizens, associations, NGOs, and companies can register on the platform to initiate debates and participate in discussions. However, some features are exclusive to verified citizens. Through Decide Madrid, citizens can actively engage in shaping action plans by suggesting ideas, measures, and projects they believe will benefit the city. Other participants can support these suggestions with votes and comments. The City of Madrid uses and has developed the open-source software CONSUL for this platform, which originated as a tool for protests and is now utilised by other cities like Barcelona, Turin, Paris, and Toledo.
Reference: Decide Madrid: plataforma de participación ciudadana
The EU City Calculator is a tool for developing and sharing energy and climate transition scenarios. It allows real-time simulations to understand key measures and levers for a low-carbon transition, providing insights into the entire energy system, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resources, and socio-economic impacts.
The EUCityCalc project helps cities develop and implement detailed, scientifically robust pathways to climate neutrality using the EU City Calculator webtool. This open-source tool provides sectoral insights into necessary measures and supports the creation of tailored transition pathways and policy scenarios. The project assists ten pilot cities, including Riga, Mantova, Zdar, Palmela, Sesimbra, Setubal, Koprivnica, Varazdin, Virovitica and Dijon Métropole, in achieving their climate goals.
The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management tool that helps prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. It consists of four quadrants. The first quadrant is for tasks that are both urgent and important; these need immediate attention and should be done first. The second quadrant is for tasks that are important but not urgent; these should be scheduled for later. The third quadrant is for tasks that are urgent but not important; these should be delegated to others. The fourth quadrant is for tasks that are neither urgent nor important; these should be minimised or eliminated. The matrix helps individuals focus on what truly matters by prioritising important tasks and managing less important ones effectively.
Resource: Eisenhower Matrix | Untools
KonSULT is a comprehensive knowledge base designed to aid urban transport planners in selecting effective policy measures. It tackles common issues such as over-reliance on traditional approaches and insufficient awareness of diverse policy options. The Measure Option Generator helps urban planners identify suitable policy measures by allowing them to specify their context, objectives, and strategies, then generating a ranked list of relevant measures. Users can further refine this list to highlight the top measures, those within specific cost or implementation time categories, or those meeting certain criteria. Additionally, the tool offers options to find complementary measures or create packages of selected measures, facilitating a more tailored approach to urban transport planning. You may also want to check out the KonSULT’s Policy Guidebook that includes detailed descriptions and assessments policy measures and case studies, as well as the Decision-Makers’ Guidebook, which offers a structured approach to addressing urban transport challenges and provides guidance on each stage of policy development.
Reference: KonSULT | Home (leeds.ac.uk)
The FOUR C’S REVIEW sheet is a tool designed to evaluate the Coherence, Completeness, Concerns, and Continuation of an action plan, ensuring that no crucial information is omitted. City practitioners and stakeholders can use this tool to review and enhance their action plans, making them more actionable. Therefore, create a box for each “C” and work through what still needs to be considered for the action plan. It is applicable during workshops, peer-review meetings, and for self-assessment. The four sections stand for:
Reference: https://urbact.eu/toolbox-home/planning-actions/four-cs
The Maladaptation Self-Assessment Checklist has been developed in the Regional Pathways to Climate Resilience (REGILIENCE) project. REGILIENCE is a European project that aimed at sharing the most promising cross-sectoral adaptation solutions, supporting cities and regions across Europe to become more resilient to climate change. The Maladaptation Self-Assessment Checklist is a tool used in climate change adaptation planning to evaluate potential risks of unintended negative consequences, known as maladaptation. It consists of a series of questions or criteria covering issues such as unintended consequences, equity, environmental impacts, social acceptability, sustainability, institutional feasibility, and resilience enhancement. Stakeholders use this checklist to identify and mitigate risks, ensuring that adaptation actions are effective and sustainable.
Reference: Self-assessment Tool for Maladaptation – Regilience
A Gap Analysis is a systematic process used to identify and evaluate the differences between the current state of a process and the desired state or goals. It involves assessing the present conditions and comparing them to the target outcomes to find gaps or obstacles that hinder goal achievement. Typically, a gap analysis identifies weaknesses, missing resources, inadequate processes, or insufficient performance relative to the defined objectives. By conducting a gap analysis, organisations or teams can optimise their strategies, plans, or actions to close the identified gaps and achieve their goals more effectively.
Reference: Gap analysis – Wikipedia
The city of Katowice actively integrates its citizens into data collection and urban planning to promote sustainable development. The residents act as ambassadors of urban changes, using digital tools to get involved. With the NaprawmyTo app (Let’sFixIt app), they can report infrastructural issues, while the wCOP drzewo app allows them to suggest locations for new tree plantings. The KATO obywatel (KATO Citizen) project enables citizens to submit their own ideas for a cleaner and greener city and to apply for funding through a “green” participatory budget. This participatory approach promotes transparency and citizen involvement. The Katowice 2030 Development Strategy, which focuses on “Quality of Life,” “Transport and City Logistics,” “Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth,” and “Metropolitan Nature and City Center,” serves as a guide for these initiatives. The KATO Citizen project was awarded by the Polish Press Agency in the “Innovative Local Government” competition, highlighting the success and innovation of Katowice’s measures.
Reference: T2.1 Stock-take report on available good planning practices.pdf
The “Lahti 2030 Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan” is a strategic initiative by the city of Lahti in Finland, designed to make the city more sustainable and environmentally friendly by the year 2030. Key components of the plan involve promoting renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, supporting sustainable mobility, and adapting to climate change. As part of the plan, monitoring is conducted every other year to track progress. Additionally, a new emission calculation is carried out every four years to assess the impact of the measures on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond these scheduled evaluations, the city also implements its own continuous monitoring efforts to ensure ongoing compliance and effectiveness. The Environmental Developments Unit of the City of Lahti Group Services is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Action Plan. Specific responsible bodies for the various measures within the plan have been defined separately, ensuring clear accountability and focused efforts across different sectors and initiatives.
Reference: https://netzerocities.app/_content/files/knowledge/4187/lahti_nzc_ccc_ok.pdf
There are numerous valuable resources and guidelines providing help to define indicators for a monitoring system. Here are some highlights:
References: JRC Publications Repository – Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (europa.eu)
The City of Vienna employs a monitoring system with a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The results of the monitoring process are designed to serve the municipal administration and policy-makers as a performance management tool and support the city and its enterprises in jointly implementing the Strategy in a focused manner. Monitoring was first carried out in 2017. In this initial process 120 experts from 50 different municipal bodies and agencies were involved. The process was co-funded by the EU (EFRE) and results have been published in English in the form of a monitoring report that includes a graphical overview on the overall progress as well as short summaries regarding implementation progress in specific thematic fields.
References: Home – Smart City Wien. Monitoring Report in English: Wienbibliothek – Digitale Publikationen / Monitoring report 2017. Latest Set of Indicators used for Monitoring: SKCSW_Indikatoren_Mai22.pdf (wien.gv.at) (only available in German)
The Stockholm Royal Seaport 2030 project is a sustainable urban development initiative in Stockholm. The project aims to create a vibrant, inclusive, and resource-efficient community with a reduced climate impact. The accompanying digital Sustainability Report provides an annually updated overview on the progress of the development. For each strategic area, the site provides detailed information on how specific targets are being met, such as green space factors, energy, waste, transportation, materials, and indoor environment.
Reference: Results and achievements | Stockholm Royal Seaport 2030 (norradjurgardsstaden2030.se)