City Planners & Climate Change
City planners face unique challenges in conforming local infrastructure to rising sea waters, heat waves, and other climate impacts. Green infrastructure is quickly gaining traction as a solution. Charleston, South Carolina, experienced nearly 90 minor tidal flooding events last year. With more future flooding expected, the city is elevating its sea wall, dubbed the “Low Battery” by at least 3 feet. These solutions are a near-universal issue because about 70% of major U.S cities reside on the coastal part of the country.
Across the world, cities are also committed to reducing carbon emissions. For example, a network of 96 large cities, representing 25% of the global economy, have partnered to address climate change.
Fast Facts
billion gallons of water a year could be saved in Chicago if the water infrastructure was replaced
U.S mayors have adopted Paris Agreement goals for their cities
%
of U.S CO2 emissions come from the buildings and other infrastructure
Heard Around the Country
Booming Front Range cities take first steps to build $500 million dam, reservoir near Holy Cross Wilderness
A hundred miles from Colorado’s Front Range house-building boom, field scientist Delia Malone dug her fingers into spongy high-mountain wetlands at the edge of the Holy Cross Wilderness. She found, about 15 inches underground, partially decayed roots, twigs and the...
City’s Climate Action Plan Taking Shape
A plan to make city government operations more environmentally friendly is taking shape and may be done by the end of the year. Goshen City Council members Monday received an update on the status of the Climate Action Plan, which is being created by the new Goshen...
Texas ranchers, activists and local officials are bracing for megadroughts brought by climate change
Arthur Uhl III has been ranching for 30 years and routinely has the same lament: "It doesn't rain enough." Uhl, who works on his family's San Angelo-area ranches, needs the rain to grow the grass that feeds his livestock. But in a region that’s prone to megadroughts,...
How are climate & weather different?
Where is there scientific agreement?
How much warming has happened?
In a Flash
- About 40% of Americans currently live on or near the coast
- An increasing number of American cities are planning on or have already started the process of adopting climate adaptation plans
- Green infrastructure is becoming mainstream in city planning decisions
Sources and Citations
- C40 Cities. About. www.c40.org/about
- Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. City Climate Policy. www.c2es.org/content/city-climate-policy/
- LA Times. Some California Cities Think They’re Safe from Climate Change. They’re Not, New Data Show. www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-17/sea-level-rise-flooding-inland-california
- GreenBiz. Why U.S. City is Doing the Most to Save Water? www.greenbiz.com/article/which-us-city-doing-most-save-its-water
Media
- Photos: U.S. Department of Energy (top) & U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (middle).
- US Agency for International Development (USAID). Heat in Cities. www.climatelinks.org/resources/heat-cities-impacts-heatwaves-and-measures-mitigate-risk
- AFP News Agency. New York’s $20bn plan to survive rising seas.