Green spaces could play a key role in helping cities to 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 analysed the climate strategies of 25 major European cities. Of the approximately 2,500 individual measures evaluated by the team, only 11.6 per cent included green spaces and urban open spaces. Cities mainly focus on measures to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The study was published in the journal “Progress in Disaster Science”.

Storms, heavy rain and heatwaves: Due to their dense development, large populations and extensive areas of sealed surfaces, cities are particularly hard hit by the effects of climate change. Urban green spaces could help to alleviate these effects by absorbing rainwater and lowering temperatures. “Although the positive effects of urban green spaces have been thoroughly studied and are well known, this knowledge is not consistently reflected in the climate strategy documents of many large European cities,” says senior lecturer PD Dr Marcin Spyra from the Institute of Geosciences and Geography at MLU.

The researchers analysed the planning reports of 25 European capitals and other large cities. The team categorised the individual measures described in the plans according to the type, their objective and the use of green spaces and other urban open spaces. “A key positive is that climate action is a strategic priority in almost all urban development plans, with a wide range of climate measures,” says Spyra. The analysis also revealed a predominance of measures aimed at reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, so called climate mitigation, in most plans. “The proportion of measures aimed at protecting against the already noticeable consequences of climate change is increasing. Green spaces feature much more prominently in adaptation strategies than in plans focused solely on mitigation. However, they remain underrepresented overall,” says Dr Victoria Dietze from the JLU.

The scientists identified significant differences between the cities they analysed. Vienna integrated green spaces and urban open spaces more than any of the other cities in the study, boasting 30 such measures. Stockholm, on the other hand, was the only city without a single such measure, according to the analysis. Instead, the Swedish capital relies heavily on measures that reduce emissions. According to the team the higher number of reduction measures in the climate plans can, in part, be attributed to the EU’s climate targets, which are primarily aimed at reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

The researchers say that previously paved surfaces, such as car parks, could play a significant role in tackling climate change if they are redesigned. “The decision on how to use urban open spaces in cities is anything but trivial: we need housing, schools and transport, but we also need biodiversity and functioning ecosystems,” says Sina Hammermeister, who conducted the study as part of her Master’s thesis at MLU.

The study analysed the cities’ strategy reports rather than the actual implementation of the plans. “However, what cities plan is key to what actions they will take. Without a strategy, there is generally no implementation,” Spyra concludes.

Study: Hammermeister, S., Dietze, V. & Spyra, M.: Climate change strategies in selected large European cities: Specific activities and the role of urban open spaces. Progress in Disaster Science (2026). doi: 10.1016/j.pdisas.2026.100597