Abstract
The climate change guidelines for urban planning in the Basque Country have been developed by Ihobe on behalf of the (Basque Network for Local Sustainability 2011) (Udalsarea 21) and the Basque Government as a part of the regional public policies regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation. The guidelines are configured as recommendations to municipalities with a special focus on adaptation as Udalsarea 21 has issued previous guidelines for mitigation. Work has included a wide review of initiatives on urban planning for climate change in several countries and sessions with technical staff from different disciplines and levels of government, showing widespread awareness about the problem and a common demand for a clear legal framework at the regional level. The main findings are a strategy to “translate” climate issues to local planning normative elements, and the need in the Basque planning context to “think regionally to act locally”, overcoming the administrative boundaries to achieve successful adaptation outcomes in issues like flood control.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
OE stands for “objetivo estratégico” (strategic target).
- 2.
The Udalsarea 21 Network is made up of the 190 municipalities of the three provinces of the Basque Country; the Basque Government’s Ministry for the Environment, Land Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries; the Basque Government’s Ministry for Health and Consumers, URA – Basque Water Board and IHOBE – Public Environmental Company.
- 3.
As stated in Udalsarea 21 Strategic Plan for 2003–2005.
- 4.
- 5.
In the final version, a more ambitious scheme in which there is also room for mitigation has been adopted, creating two main chapters, each one structured according to the Plan General’s contents, but the focus remains stronger on adaptation.
- 6.
The Basque Government is studying measures to introduce climate change relate innovations in its spatial planning laws, which could become compulsory for municipalities. As a part of the preparatory studies, see Ezquiaga and Barros (2011).
- 7.
“Use classes” means here the usual division of uses in land use plans: residential, industrial, offices, public facilities, parking, public open space and so on.
- 8.
“Use classes compatibility” means here the use assignation to buildings: there is generally a main use (residential, for instance) that often can be joined by ancillary uses (parking, retail, offices) in varying proportions and positions; the ancillary uses are then deemed “compatible” with the main use.
- 9.
A usual comment among municipal staff consulted during the preparation of the guidelines was the need for a protocol to act in cases of historical bridges or structures that deserve historical protection but constitute a clear risk-worsening factor in fluvial flooding. Although diversion channels and other means are technically feasible, their cost is a powerful deterrent, raising the issue of a need for choice criteria. As opposed to mitigation, in which renewable energy generation can help reduce emissions and be financially sustainable, no such thing happens in this case.
- 10.
Double aspect housing units have openings to opposed façades, allowing for cross-apartment natural ventilation.
References
A wide array of good practice guides regarding environmental policies and climate change is available at http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones
Basque Network for Local Sustainability. (2011). Available at: http://www.udalsarea21.net
Basque Regional Planning Law. (1990). Ley 4/1990 de 31 de mayo, de Ordenación del Territorio del País Vasco. Available at www.euskadi.net
Basque Research Center, BC3, University of the Basque Country, Ihobe (publisher). (2009). Mapa de Conocimiento de Cambio Climático en la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco (A map of the Climate Change Knowledge in the Basque Country Autonomous Region). Spanish version available at http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones
Basque Urban Planning Law. (2006). Ley 2/2006, de 30 de junio, de Suelo y Urbanismo. Available at www.euskadi.net
Ezquiaga, J. M, Barros, J., & Basque Government Regional Planning Directorate. (2011). Estrategias de adaptación y mitigación del cambio climático en planificación espacial. Selección y análisis de buenas prácticas y formulación de criterios de aplicación en el planeamiento territorial y urbanístico de la CAPV [Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in spatial planning. Good practice review and implementation policies for the regional and local planning in the Basque Country]. Spanish and Basque versions available at http://www.ingurumena.ejgv.euskadi.net/r49-orokorra/es/contenidos/informacion/cambio_climatico_2011/es_clima/indice.html
Ihobe. (2008). Basque plan to combat climate change 2008–2012. English version available at http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones
LKS Ingeniería, M+A+S Abogados, Ihobe (Publisher). (2005). Manual para la redacción de planeamiento urbanístico con criterios de sostenibilidad [Guidelines for sustainable urban planning]. Spanish version available at http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones
Olazabal, M., Feliú, E., Izaola, B., et al. (2011). Local strategies for climate change adaptation: Urban planning criteria for municipalities of the Basque Country, Spain. In K. Otto-Zimmermann (Ed.), Resilient cities: Cities and adaptation to climate change – proceedings of the global forum 2010. Dordrecht: Springer
Spanish Land Law. (2008). Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2008, de 20 de junio, por el que se aprueba el Texto Refundido de la Ley de Suelo. Available at www.boe.es
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dominguez, J.M.E., Guerton, J.B., Feliu, E., Castillo, C., Ugalde, A.G. (2012). Climate Change Guidelines for Urban Planning in the Basque Country. In: Otto-Zimmermann, K. (eds) Resilient Cities 2. Local Sustainability, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4223-9_28
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4223-9_28
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4222-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4223-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)