EUKI Project in Karlovac: What Remains When a Climate Project Ends?

Topics: Climate Policy

Countries: Croatia

A project has an end date, but its impact does not. This shows the EUKI project ClimAct CEE in Karlovac, Croatia: The project resulted in a long-term roadmap for climate-friendly urban planning, which Karlovac continues to follow to this day. A great deal has already happened in Karlovac during the project’s duration: The city expanded its bicycle infrastructure, redesigned public spaces around the historic Zvijezda district, and created more green corridors and areas where rainwater can infiltrate. At the same time, Karlovac explored nature-based solutions to better prepare the city for heat waves and flooding. But the success story continues even after the project ends: Follow-up initiatives are now increasingly integrating the core principles of ClimAct CEE into local urban and spatial planning processes. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate adaptation are thus not merely considered as an afterthought, but are incorporated into Karlovac’s future development from the very beginning. In this way, a time-limited climate project becomes part of long-term urban development.