Cooperation amongst public, private and civil society actors in the design and implementation of sustainability policies and practices are not new. Many characteristics of urban partnerships, as a diverse set of governance instruments, show potential to address the inherent risks and impacts associated with a changing climate. This review identifies and describes a number of existing and emergent urban partnerships from traditional infrastructure Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) and urban regeneration through to cross-scalar policy networks. It examines the key challenges, and gaps, specific to adaptation that partnerships must embrace if they are to provide a valuable policy instrument for climate adaptation.