Most Canadian urban planners enter the field without learning enough about climate adaptation, according to research by a University of Alberta expert who has developed a new course to help fill the knowledge gap.
"Planners in part are responsible for making our cities livable, making our cities safe," says Jeff Birchall, creator and instructor of the course, PLAN485: Climate Change Adaptation for Municipalities, as well as lead author of the study reviewing 24 accredited planning programs across Canada.
Birchall notes that planners have many tools at their disposal, such as zoning bylaws and development permits. But as the study highlights, more technical knowledge about strategies for adapting to climate change could be a missing tool in their arsenal. Only two of the programs reviewed had required courses that covered climate change adaptation, suggesting a need for more thorough education on the topic.
"We don't need planners to be climatologists or environmental scientists, but they need to have enough understanding that they can communicate the necessary information between the various professions involved in local climate change efforts," says Birchall, director of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Lab and associate professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
For the study, researchers interviewed 60 participants including engineers, local government planners, and sustainability experts to identify key strengths among planners. They noted planners' strong communication and collaboration skills, as shown by their expertise in engaging the public and connecting different departments and organizations on large municipal projects.
The main weakness revealed was a lack of technical knowledge about climate adaptation — something planners themselves said was an area largely missing in their education.
