How is Lodz fighting climate change? On adaptation strategies, forest parks and river restoration

Lodz is facing climate change – challenges that are no longer just a distant forecast, but an everyday reality shaping the lives of residents. From the renaturalization of the city’s rivers, to the creation of forest parks, to climate education in Lodz schools, the city is trying to counteract the effects of the growing problems. What actions must be taken to effectively minimize the threats? Which of Lodz’s initiatives can become a model for others to follow? In our interview with a representative of the city government, we seek answers to these questions, discovering what steps will help make Lodz more resilient to the vagaries of a changing climate.

Agnieszka Hobot: Łódź, like any developing city, faces challenges related to rapid climate change. In your opinion, which of these challenges pose the greatest threat to the city and its residents? What measures should be implemented first to effectively counter them?

Anna Wierzbicka: I think that currently all investments touching on the issue of climate change and mitigating its negative effects are becoming a priority. In Lodz, we try to act in many ways, also responding to the appeals of residents. The result of the growing need among Lodz residents to increase recreational areas, especially in residential neighborhoods, is, for example, the task of creating so-called forest parks. They are being created in places where construction pressure is increasingly strong, and the amount of landscaped greenery is still insufficient.

All the areas covered by the boundaries of the new parks are a very important resource of low and high greenery in the structure of the city, providing us with a number of ecosystem services every day, starting with rainwater retention, ending with_CO2 absorption and oxygen production, not to mention biodiversity and providing ecological corridors. The first forest parks were established in 2021, and to date we have already created 21 of them.

A powerful challenge for Lodz is river restoration efforts. Few people know that more than 20 watercourses flow underground in our city. The starting point was the Lamus River project, for which we received funding from the European Parliament. It includes not only the uncovering of the river within Kilinsky Park (near Kilinsky and Tymienieckiego Streets) and the creation of an attractive recreational area, but the environmental aspect, related to retention, is very valuable here. Blue-green corridors within the city are a necessity in view of ongoing climate change.

A.H.: Adapting to climate change is a process that requires both strategy and concrete actions. What initiatives have been taken in Lodz in recent years to increase the city’s resilience to extreme weather events and other effects of climate change? Are there any projects that can serve as a model for other cities?

A.W.: In Lodz, we try to approach the problem of climate change comprehensively – only then will it have an effect. Investments must be complemented with climate education, so that residents understand why we are acting in such and not other areas. In 2022, we launched the Lodz Schools for Climate program. This is an initiative of the local government that is ahead of standard curricula. Students do not take part in typical lessons, but conduct practical experiments in the area of ecology – reduce electricity consumption, water consumption, test the advantages of eating less meat or using public transportation more often.

Teachers and families of students are also involved in these experiments. We have now implemented the second edition of the program, but our ambition is to include all city institutions. So far, more than 200 students and their families have participated in the experiment. After the first edition of the program, the city of Lodz received an invitation to the WEEC World Congress on Environmental Education in Abu Dhabi (January 2024). For this occasion, the Lodz-based Opus Film prepared, together with the participants, a special film promoting ecological attitudes and at the same time encouraging everyone to join the experiment. The project was also promoted during the conference Empowering Cities. The climate neutral and smart cities mission in action in Valencia and received an honorable mention at this year’s Innovative Local Government gala.

The educational aspect has recently been expanded – as a city of the textile industry – also to include the theme of responsible fashion, implementing workshops on this subject in schools. Excessive consumerism is also the bane of today’s times – we want to sensitize young people that clothes are not disposable, it’s not worth blindly following the latest models that will end up in the garbage in a moment. It’s healthier to create your own style and buy with your head quality items that are good and necessary.

A.H.: Climate change is affecting many aspects of urban life – from infrastructure operations to public health. In which areas is Lodz most vulnerable to the effects of climate change? What adaptation strategies are currently in place to protect these vulnerable sectors?

A.W.: Urban heat island is certainly a phenomenon characteristic of large cities, including Lodz. Concreted spaces, especially during summer periods, heat up quickly and then release this heat, increasing the heat stress on residents. A particular challenge that Łódź is focusing on is the introduction of greenery in the historic center of the city to counteract climate change, offset the urban heat island phenomenon and increase water retention, while improving the quality of life for residents.

That’s why, first of all, we are unclogging the surfaces of Lodz’s squares, which business is also eager to participate in. The idea behind the project to deconstruct, for example, WOŚP Square, with the participation of as many as six entrepreneurs, was to maximize the greening of the space and maintain the functionality of the square. Concrete slabs were replaced here with compositions of greenery islands, enriched with elements of small architecture to increase the level of use of the place by residents. For giving a new shape to this part of the city, Lodz was recognized in the fourth edition (2023) of the City with Climate competition. Recently, the Liberty Square and Schiller Passage have also been deconstructed, and a metamorphosis is in store for, among others, the space of Dabrowski Square, which is important for Lodz residents and currently heavily underutilized.

A.H.: The MPA is the foundation of efforts to adapt cities to changing climate conditions. What priorities have been adopted in Lodz in the implementation of the MPA? Do they respond to specific needs of the city and its residents?

A.W.: The city is aware of the importance of climate change adaptation. Which, in addition to the legal basis, of course, was one of the reasons why the City Council of Lodz passed the City Climate Change Adaptation Plan in October this year. Its adoption was preceded by almost a year of work on the document. This time was necessary to make a proper diagnosis of Lodz’s problems resulting from climate change, as well as to be able to work out ways and actions aimed at reducing the city’s vulnerability to extreme meteorological phenomena.

And thus increase its adaptive capacity, through the selection of appropriate measures. In Lodz, the most sensitive sectors for which MPA activities are planned, which are also responses to the needs of the city and its residents, are public health, water management, transportation and high-intensity residential development. With the rest, the buildings sector accounts for as much as 56 percent of the city’s emissions. These were identified in the study as factors causing high vulnerability and susceptibility to climate change.

A.H.: The implementation of adaptation plans often involves numerous challenges – from coordination between different institutions to difficulties in obtaining funding. What obstacles do you face in Lodz when implementing the development of an MPA?

A.W.: It is important to remember that the implementation of the Adaptation Plan is a process that requires the involvement of many entities managing the city and those operating in the City. This sometimes causes difficulties in coordinating activities. Therefore, in order to be able to effectively implement the MPA, it may be necessary to adapt some procedures of existing mechanisms and existing solutions to the implementation requirements of the Municipal Adaptation Plan.

An important role in all of this is played by legislation, which is not ideal, but as we know, work is currently underway on, among other things, a law amending the Environmental Protection Law and some other laws and updating the National Energy and Climate Plan for 2021-2030, which may make it easier for cities to carry out their tasks. Of course, one should also not forget about cost, which is the primary barrier. Programs such as FENiKS and NIP funds will be crucial in the next few years for the successful implementation of our plans.

A.H.: Adaptation plans require continuous improvement and development. What activities are planned in Lodz for the coming years in terms of climate change adaptation? Can we expect new projects, innovative solutions or key legislative changes that will support these activities?

A.W.: Lodz will undertake activities leading to, among other things, reduction of water footprint, development of green and blue infrastructure, improvement of the degree of aeration, and measures to increase the comfort and safety of residents, especially vulnerable groups.

In addition, we are taking mitigation measures that are largely related to adaptability. On the one hand, they reduce the carbon footprint, and on the other hand, they promote the construction of a friendly climate inside buildings, thereby increasing their resilience to natural phenomena._CO2 reduction, on the other hand, should proceed in parallel with raising the absorption capacity of these gases. The only way to do this is to shape the green system taking into account the most sensitive zones and the most vulnerable groups of residents.

In view of this, in Lodz in the coming years we will implement a project to renaturate some of the rivers running through the city. It will be complemented by the implementation of a greening strategy, e.g. through activities in the field of revalorization of parks and greens, creation of new forms of greenery, or through implementation of solutions improving water retention and infiltration. There will also be continued activities related to renewable energy sources – we plan to build a municipal photovoltaic farm on an area of about 40ha. We should also not forget about climate education activities, often supporting and complementing the activities mentioned above.

A.H.: Managing the city in the era of climate change requires a modern and far-sighted approach. In your opinion, what directions should urban planning policy in Lodz take in order to effectively respond to climate challenges? What changes in governance could bring the greatest benefits to the city and its residents?

A.W.: Basically, we are, as Lodz, in the comfortable position that a number of changes have already been implemented and we will be talking about their evaluation and modification in the future, rather than the need for specific actions. In the first place, the structure responsible for planning the city’s actions in the context of climate change is the most important. In 2019. President Hanna Zdanowska established the Department of Ecology and Climate, which includes the Department of Environmental Shaping, but also the classic Department of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, responsible for the strictly administrative side of environmental management, the Office of Energy and Air Quality, responsible for the energy transition in its broadest sense, and the Urban Greenery Management Board, as a separate unit in charge of the day-to-day maintenance of green spaces.

The second most important basis is a concrete strategy. This is what the Lodz Climate Package gives us, including not only the Environmental Program or MPA, but also the carbon footprint calculation, SECAP and the Greening Strategy. These are documents that guide the specific courses of action and initiatives we need to take. Of course, all this cannot happen without the participation of residents if it is to ultimately benefit them. That’s why we ask for residents’ opinions on many things, from strategic issues to individual solutions, in consultations, and in order to make an in-depth analysis of public opinion, we realized a Citizens Panel, which gave us detailed knowledge about the expectations of Lodz residents in the context of climate change.