Addressing planning gaps to enhance urban resilience and air quality

The increasing urgency posed by climate change and air pollution challenges calls for integrated policy approaches able to promote resilient and healthy cities. Research is needed to support cities in developing strategies to reduce their carbon footprint and air pollution, as well as enhance resilience, while maximising synergies and optimising the use of resources. This paper contributes to this research need by examining the current degree of integration between urban air quality and climate plans in a multi-level governance framework, using the Tuscany region in Italy as a multiple case study. The methodological approach, based on a deep deductive content analysis of both air quality and climate planning documents, provides a detailed overview of the key factors that can foster stronger mutual integration between the two policy domains. The factors considered are grouped into two categories: endogenous ones, which refer to internal elements influencing the planning process (such as support from sub-national authorities and citizen participation), and exogenous ones, which refer to the broader socio-political context (including involvement in transnational climate networks and initiatives). The results show that local governments, whilst demonstrating climate ambition and promptness to planning action, often face barriers to implementation that can be mitigated through increased policy dialogue between administrative levels, transnational comparisons and active participatory processes. These findings contribute to the identification of key enablers for more coherent and comprehensive urban planning, and inform the ongoing discourse on integrated, multi-level environmental governance.