Enhancing Urban Resilience through Integrated Energy, Climate, and Spatial Planning: Introducing the IN-PLAN Practise

Fragmented sectoral policies hinder spatial planning from driving sustainable development and diminish the impact of EU-funded investments, posing a significant challenge for urban development in Europe (ESPON, 2018). The IN-PLAN project addresses this problem by empowering local and regional authorities to integrate climate adaptation, energy and mobility policies and spatial planning. The developed IN-PLAN Practice provides a structured framework, milestones and strategies for action and stakeholder engagement to support integrated planning. Pilot projects in Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Romania demonstrate the adaptability and feasibility of implementation of the practice. This paper presents the findings throughout the project and highlights the lessons learnt from these pilot projects to stimulate a wider uptake of integrated planning approaches across Europe. It also reflects the provision of support structures and documents for integrated planning.