{
  "id": 3603186,
  "title": "European city climate plans underuse green spaces despite adaptation benefits, finds study",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/european-city-climate-plans-underuse-green-spaces-despite-adaptation",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T22:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-european-city-climate-underuse-green.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in the journal Progress in Disaster Science has revealed that European city climate plans undervalue the potential benefits of green spaces, despite the well-documented advantages they offer in adapting to climate change. Researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Justus Liebig University Giessen analyzed the climate strategies of 25 major European cities, finding that only 11.6% of the approximately 2,500 individual measures included green spaces and urban open spaces.\n\nCities typically prioritize measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as these are crucial for mitigating climate change. However, the study highlights that urban green spaces could play a significant role in alleviating the impacts of climate change, such as stormwater management and temperature reduction. Despite the numerous studies supporting the effectiveness of urban green spaces, their integration into climate strategies remains limited.\n\nSenior lecturer Dr. Marcin Spyra from MLU emphasizes that while climate action is a strategic priority in most urban development plans, the majority of measures focus on reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The proportion of measures addressing climate adaptation has been increasing, but green spaces still lag behind.\n\nThe analysis identified notable differences among the cities, with Vienna incorporating green spaces more extensively than other cities, with 30 such measures. Stockholm, on the other hand, lacked any green space measures in its plan, relying heavily on emission reduction strategies. The study suggests that previously paved surfaces, such as parking lots, could be redesigned to better address climate change.\n\nThe researchers stress that the decision-making process regarding urban open spaces is complex, as it involves balancing housing, schools, transportation needs with the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. While the study focused on strategy reports rather than actual implementation, the analysis underscores the importance of climate action plans in guiding city actions.",
  "summary": "Green spaces could play a key role in helping cities cope with the effects of climate change, yet they still play only a minor role in climate strategies. These were the findings of researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), who analyzed the climate strategies of 25 major European cities.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}