City Diagnosis as a Strategic Component in Preparing Urban Areas for Climate Change: Insights from the ‘City with Climate’ Project

The aim of this study is to present a methodology for diagnosing cities in terms of hydrological and meteorological threats, with the goal of improving water management and helping cities adapt to changing conditions. Urbanisation is expected to progress unevenly across countries and cities, influenced by factors such as climatic conditions, economic disparities, and governance structures. Consequently, urban landscapes should strive for a balanced approach that integrates safety and risk management, commercial spaces, emotional well-being, and the promotion of biodiversity. Cities play a pivotal role in addressing climate change, as they account for a significant share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Poland, numerous national and international projects are being implemented to help cities mitigate the impacts of climate change. Among these, the City with Climate project aimed to enhance residents’ quality of life while facilitating a pro-climate transition for cities. A holistic and multifaceted approach was adopted, incorporating the analysis of historical flood events based on archival documents and rescue service reports, detailed GIS data such as soil sealing, non-drained basins, NDVI, NDBI, and a multi-criteria analysis targeting hydrological and water management factors to develop effective solutions for urban retention challenges. The main findings indicate that: (1) combining insightful analyses using well-established methods provides a robust foundation for informed decision-making by city authorities; (2) overlaying information layers, such as local flooding interventions, non-drained areas, drainage networks, and soil sealing, helps identify areas requiring large-scale, technical, or nature-based solutions; and (3) regardless of city size, there is a concerning trend of increasing impervious surfaces replacing green areas, alongside urban sprawl altering land use in flood-prone regions, including mountainous, forested, and floodplain areas that should be protected. These findings illustrate that employing a structured project methodology alongside a comprehensive approach can significantly contribute to urban landscape planning, addressing the challenges of climate change while enhancing urban biodiversity through blue and green infrastructure.