Across Europe, cities and regions are asking a vital question: how can we plan cities and urban areas that are both climate-neutral and resilient? To succeed, spatial planning, energy transition, and climate adaptation can no longer operate in isolation and compete for attention and resources; they must become parts of a single and coordinated effort.
This is the new direction for Europe’s local and regional authorities, who are turning integrated planning into a driving force for a just and effective green transition.
The IN-PLAN vision
Building on this momentum, local and regional authorities are beginning to integrate energy and climate objectives directly into their planning systems. As the impacts of climate change intensify, European cities and regions are under increasing pressure to plan differently and to design communities that are not only sustainable but also resilient, energy-efficient, and future-proof.
Achieving this transformation requires breaking down the traditional silos between spatial planning, energy management, and climate policy. Only through integrated planning can local authorities ensure that every new building, infrastructure, and land-use decision supports the wider goals of decarbonisation and adaptation.
The LIFE IN-PLAN project helps them do just that, by linking climate action and energy transition directly to the way territories develop and evolve. IN-PLAN provides local and regional authorities with a structured methodology that helps integrate mitigation, adaptation, and energy transition measures directly into spatial and land-use plans. Through pilot actions and peer learning across Europe, the project tests and refines this approach, building the capacity of local planners and decision-makers to deliver sustainable, climate-proof development on the ground.
Croatia: From Strategy to Implementation through Urban Planning
The impact of this approach can already be seen on the ground. In Croatia, cities and regions are demonstrating how integrated planning can turn climate goals into concrete urban action. The Lighthouse cities of Zagreb and Križevci, together with the Pilot city Karlovac, have shown that municipalities can move from strategy to action by embedding climate and energy objectives directly into their General Urban Plans (GUPs).
In Zagreb, the North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency (REGEA) supported the City Institute for Spatial Planning in preparing a Green Urban Plan (Green GUP): a cornerstone document that integrates energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate adaptation goals into the city’s long-term vision, aligning with the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality targets.
In Križevci, the municipality worked with REGEA to include detailed, EU-aligned energy and climate provisions in its GUP, focusing on higher energy efficiency standards, mandatory renewables integration, and climate resilience.
Meanwhile, Karlovac has achieved a landmark success: its revised GUP now includes binding provisions restricting natural gas grid expansion and requiring all new buildings to rely on renewables or district heating. This demonstrates how IN-PLAN helps transform policy goals into concrete regulatory measures.
Italy: Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation in San Vito al Tagliamento
In Italy, the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento stands out for its innovative use of the IN-PLAN integrated planning methodology. The Italian team successfully adapted the IN-PLAN checklist to the national context, translating it and tailoring it to local priorities such as tackling the urban heat island effect and flooding.
This localized approach sparked strong political commitment. As San Vito updates multiple sectoral plans, the municipality decided to formally adopt the IN-PLAN methodology and checklist to ensure that climate adaptation measures are embedded across all planning documents. The process, built on targeted research, multidisciplinary collaboration, and alignment with the UN Agenda 2030 goals, exemplifies how IN-PLAN fosters coherence and sustainability at the local level.
Ireland: Forward Guidance for Renewable Energy Integration
In Ireland, the Southern Regional Assembly (SRA) used the IN-PLAN framework to align renewable energy strategies with national and regional plans. Recognizing that older county Renewable Energy Strategies (RES) were outdated and inconsistent with CAP 2024 and grid realities, the SRA developed a concise Forward Guidance for Sustainable Renewable Energy Strategy (SRES).
This guidance document defines clear siting criteria, capacity targets, and review cycles that connect directly to the County Development Plans, RSES, and Local Authority Climate Action Plans. The result is a bankable renewable energy pipeline for solar, onshore wind, rooftop programs, and storage, complete with shared KPIs for emissions, generation, and self-consumption.
The approach provides a repeatable, future-proof template for other Irish counties, ensuring policy coherence, faster permitting, and better alignment with grid upgrades.
Shared lessons
The experiences of Italy, Croatia, and Ireland clearly demonstrate that integrating energy, climate, and spatial planning is not just beneficial but is essential for achieving climate neutrality. Spatial planning determines how land is used, how people move, and where infrastructure is built. Energy and climate policies, on the other hand, define how those spaces are powered and protected from changing environmental conditions. When these areas are planned separately, opportunities for synergies and efficiency are often missed, leading to fragmented actions and slower progress.
By bringing them together under a common framework, municipalities can ensure that urban transformations, energy systems, and climate adaptation measures reinforce one another rather than compete. Integrated planning enables cities to translate long-term strategies into concrete, enforceable measures, such as energy-efficient zoning, renewable energy integration, and resilience-oriented land-use decisions.
The IN-PLAN pilots show that this approach works best when local authorities take ownership of the process, supported by cross-sector collaboration and flexible tools like the IN-PLAN Practice and checklist. In doing so, they turn climate ambition into a coherent planning model that directly shapes more sustainable, resilient, and energy-efficient territories.
Looking ahead
Integrated planning is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of Europe’s green transition. As EU and national policies set ever more ambitious targets for climate neutrality, cities and regions will need planning systems that can coordinate land use, energy systems, and resilience measures within a single, coherent vision. This calls for not only better tools but also a cultural shift in governance, embracing collaboration across sectors and scales.
Building on the results of its pilot regions, IN-PLAN is well-positioned to contribute to this transformation. By offering a practical framework, capacity-building resources, and tested methodologies, the project provides a solid foundation for regions and municipalities seeking to turn integrated planning from an innovative concept into a standard practice across Europe. The next step is to ensure that the lessons from IN-PLAN inform future EU and national planning frameworks, helping territories design and implement sustainable, climate-resilient futures.
Details
- Publication date
- 19 November 2025