Uccrn Education The article, titled “Learning about urban adaptation using similarity-based partnerships”, is Reckien’s first commissioned paper in the journal and examines how different types of city partnerships shape the ways municipalities develop climate resilience.
List of Contents
Four pathways for learning between cities
In the paper, Reckien identifies four main avenues of learning through similarity-based partnerships, structured around two key dimensions:
- Geographic distance (adjacent vs. distant cities)
- Climate leadership capacity (symmetric vs. asymmetric)
The combination of these dimensions produces four partnership models:
- Asymmetric + adjacent (emulation-driven)
One neighbouring city takes the lead while another follows. For example, collaboration in Freetown with the Western Area Rural District Council has supported upstream tree planting, flood management and the creation of green jobs. - Symmetric + adjacent (learning-driven)
Cities with similar capacities work side by side. Denmark’s nationwide municipal climate adaptation network, aligned with the Paris 1.5°C goal, shows how shared standards and mutual accountability can raise ambition across all municipalities. - Symmetric + distant (exchange-driven)
Global climate leaders exchange solutions and experiences. Rotterdam and Copenhagen regularly collaborate as coastal adaptation frontrunners, while Barcelona partners with Paris based on political and institutional alignment. - Asymmetric + distant (facilitated and demand-driven)
Large international initiatives such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy provide structured pathways for cities seeking targeted expertise and support.
Adaptation as a long-term governance transformation
According to Reckien, asymmetric partnerships are particularly effective during crises, when clear leadership can accelerate decision-making and action. In contrast, symmetric partnerships tend to deliver long-term benefits, building trust, raising policy ambition and reshaping governance practices over time.
The article highlights that climate adaptation is not only a technical challenge but also a relational one, requiring sustained cooperation between cities across space and time.
“Learning about urban adaptation using similarity-based partnerships”
Diana Reckien, Associate Professor at the University of Twente, has published a new commissioned Comment in Nature Climate Change titled “Learning about urban adaptation using similarity-based partnerships.” The article explores how cities can learn from each other through different forms of partnerships to strengthen climate adaptation.
Diana Reckien is Associate Professor at the ITC Faculty of the University of Twente. Until 2022 she also served as Coordinating Lead Author for Chapter 17 (“Decision-making options for managing risk”) of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Over the course of her career she has worked with several leading institutions, including Columbia University, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Asian Development Bank.
