CIVIC SOLUTIONS HUBS

While climate change is global, its impacts are seen and felt locally. To help communities we are planning Civic Solutions Hubs for climate adaptation.

Historically, response to challenges in our communities has been addressed as a single issue. Today science, technology, and the expanding field of ecological design is giving us new tools, knowledge, and resources to see our communities as “integrated systems” where solutions to climate adaptation can incorporate safety, health, equity, economic vitality, and emerging innovations in urban ecology and regenerative architecture. These tools and design directions support holistic planning approaches that include active citizen participation in the process.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to climate adaptation needs, there are some common challenges around which creative holistic solutions can be crafted and shared. Since cities are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, subject to both urban heat island effects and air pollution harmful to health, economically damaging and life-threatening flooding, as well as land erosion for those located on coasts (127 million Americans live in coastal counties) we are initially prioritizing urban solutions.   

Communities are strongest when citizens are civically engaged in issues of shared public concern and work together to solve them. When they participate in the process of crafting a vision for their communities and co-develop a plan to realize it, they invest themselves in achieving goals together. Our work is to organize stakeholders, knowledge contributors, teams, tools, expertise, and funding opportunities to support them. Our work with a Remote Earth Sensing Systems Institute in the largest urban university network in the country will enable us to develop and feature community climate solutions with a support system of Civic Hubs with step-by-step “digital resources” to guide replication in communities with similar challenges.