2018 Reports

New Citizen Roles in Climate Change Adaptation: The Efforts of the
Middle-Sized Danish City of Middelfart

Wejs, Anja

This case study explores how Middelfart, a middle-sized Danish city, is fostering citizen engagement in climate change adaptation through innovative urban water management. The city and its wastewater utility are transitioning from traditional, centralized solutions to integrated approaches that retain rainwater locally, including rain gardens on private plots and the development of a resilient urban area in Kongebro. Citizens, including schoolchildren, are actively involved in designing, maintaining, and providing local knowledge for these solutions, transforming them from passive recipients to co-creators of climate-resilient infrastructure. Middelfart’s approach demonstrates how participatory strategies can enhance both urban livability and adaptive capacity in response to increasing flood risks.