Strategies for urban climate adaptation: Pathways towards equitable resilience in Barcelona and Berlin

The social effectiveness and legitimacy of climate adaptation largely depends on addressing the inequitable impacts of climate change on urban populations. Yet, there is a limited understanding of how cities attempt and succeed in integrating an equity perspective into the rapidly growing field of spatial adaptation strategies. This article explores the integration of climate change adaptation and equity in urban planning. It explores how discourses and concepts on climate equity are impacting and changing urban planning cultures and practices. For this purpose, the cases of Barcelona and Berlin, two progressive ‘early adopter’ cities are analyzed. Based on a framework highlighting the recognitional, procedural, and distributional dimensions of ‘equitable resilience’, our analysis shows the diverse approaches by which these cities adopt the dual goals of climate adaptation and equity in planning. The case-studies highlight ambiguities and gaps related to conceptual underpinnings, planning and participation processes, and consistent implementation of equitable resilience measures. However, both cities show a general openness to progressive approaches, such as intersectional perspectives and integration of various policy fields in local measures. The case-studies illustrate how ‘equitable resilience’ can serve as a catalyst for innovative concepts, robust normative principles, and experimental practices for urban climate policy and planning. • The article examines climate adaptation strategies in two ‘early-adopter’ cities, Berlin and Barcelona. • It explores the influence of normative concepts of climate justice in the cities' climate adaptation planning. • Based on key dimensions of ‘equitable resilience’ the study traces how cities integrate climate adaptation and equity in their planning. • Highlights potential of normative principles, innovative concepts and experimental practices integrating these dimensions.