|
Using Smart Growth to Adapt to Climate Change
<br />By Megan M. Susman
<br />Communities around the country, from rural
<br />places to major cities, are using smart growth
<br />and green building strategies to create more
<br />economic opportunities, offer more housing
<br />and transportation choices, promote equita-
<br />ble development, and improve quality of life.
<br />These same strategies, with some tweaks, can
<br />make neighborhoods and cities more resil-
<br />ient to current and projected climate change
<br />impacts, including flooding, sea -level rise,
<br />extreme heat, drought, and wildfire.
<br />The multiple benefits that smart growth
<br />and green building approaches bring can help
<br />build public support for actions that also help
<br />communities adapt to a changing climate. For
<br />example, making streets safer for all users and
<br />adding green elements that reduce stormwa-
<br />ter runoff accomplish climate change -related
<br />goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emis-
<br />sions by making less -polluting transportation
<br />options more appealing, lowering ambient air
<br />temperatures, and reducing localized flood-
<br />ing. For residents, these actions also create a
<br />more pleasant, safer place to walk and bike,
<br />and for businesses, a more attractive street
<br />brings more customers.
<br />Zoning and building codes and related
<br />policies provide a particularly useful vehicle
<br />for working climate change considerations
<br />into regular municipal processes. When the
<br />codes are updated, the local government
<br />can incorporate the most up-to-date climate
<br />observations and projections. Provisions in
<br />these regulations that support smart growth
<br />and green building can also provide a founda-
<br />tion for climate change adaptation.
<br />The U.S. Environmental Protection
<br />Agency (EPA) recently released Smart Growth
<br />Fixes for Climate Adaptation and Resilience, a
<br />guidebook to help local government officials,
<br />staff, and boards identify smart growth strate-
<br />gies that can help them prepare for and adapt
<br />to climate change. This article introduces
<br />some of the land -use and building policy
<br />and code changes that are discussed in the
<br />publication, which communities across the
<br />country are using to meet their needs and
<br />circumstances. Policy options include overall
<br />strategies that can help communities adapt to
<br />multiple climate change impacts. Others are
<br />more specific to a single hazard. All can help
<br />communities achieve multiple environmental,
<br />economic, health, or social goals.
<br />OVERALL STRATEGIES
<br />Determining appropriate locations for devel-
<br />opment and conservation helps communities
<br />prepare for climate -driven changes, and flex-
<br />ible zoning can help communities respond
<br />to these changing conditions. Furthermore,
<br />renewable energy can both improve resilience
<br />and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
<br />Federal Resources
<br />A number of federal resources can help
<br />communities explore regional and local
<br />climate change projections:
<br />• The 2014 national climate assess-
<br />ment report, Climate Change Im-
<br />pacts in the United States, includes
<br />observed changes and projected
<br />impacts on regions and sectors
<br />(nca2o14.globalchange.gov).
<br />• The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
<br />links to climate change resources
<br />across the federal government
<br />(toolkit.climate.gov)
<br />• The National Oceanic and Atmospher-
<br />ic Administration's Climate Explorer
<br />tool offers graphs, maps, and data of
<br />observed and projected temperature,
<br />precipitation, and related climate
<br />variables for every county in the
<br />contiguous United States (toolkit.
<br />cli mate.gov/tools/climate-explorer).
<br />• EPA's Scenario -Based Projected
<br />Changes Map, an easy -to -use map-
<br />ping tool, provides local projected
<br />changes in annual total precipita-
<br />tion, precipitation intensity, annual
<br />average temperature, ioo-year storm
<br />events, and sea -level rise (tinyurl.
<br />com/hsc72ba).
<br />Designate Locations for Protection
<br />and for Growth
<br />Including regional climate change projec-
<br />tions —which local governments can get from
<br />a metropolitan planning organization or
<br />from federal toots —in planning documents
<br />and land -use maps will help communities
<br />understand where housing, transportation,
<br />businesses, and services could be vulner-
<br />able to flooding, sea -level rise, drought, or
<br />wildfire. The local government can use that
<br />information to identify land that is currently
<br />vulnerable or projected to become more vul-
<br />nerable to these impacts. That land could be
<br />designated for protection or less intensive
<br />development. Areas that are less vulner-
<br />able —and well-connected to existing devel-
<br />opment —could be designated for growth and
<br />economic development.
<br />For example, the Southeast Florida
<br />Climate Compact, a collaboration among
<br />Broward, Miami -Dade, Monroe, and Palm
<br />Beach counties, developed a Regional Cli-
<br />mate Action Plan that suggested municipal
<br />and county comprehensive plans designate
<br />Adaptation Action Areas (the areas mostvul-
<br />nerable to sea -level rise and other impacts
<br />and prioritized for investment to reduce their
<br />risk), Restoration Areas (undeveloped areas
<br />that are vulnerable to climate change impacts
<br />and that should be prioritized for acquisition
<br />to keep them undeveloped), and Growth Ar-
<br />eas (areas that are at a higher elevation and
<br />already have infrastructure, where growth
<br />should be directed) (SFRCCC 2012).
<br />Local governments could also choose to
<br />locate new municipal buildings in less vulner-
<br />able areas that are close to the people they
<br />serve and easy for people to reach on foot,
<br />by bike, by public transit, or by car. Locating
<br />buildings with emergency functions —such as
<br />hospitals, police and fire stations, and emer-
<br />gency shelters —in places that are less likely
<br />to be hit by a flood or wildfire and that people
<br />can easily get to even without a car, improves
<br />access to critical services. Putting municipal
<br />buildings in places where they are less likely
<br />to be damaged by natural hazards also pro-
<br />tects the public investment.
<br />Flexible Zoning
<br />Flexible zoning codes, such as dynamic zon-
<br />ing or floating zones, can help communities
<br />adapt more nimbly to changing conditions.
<br />Dynamic zoning includes triggers in the code
<br />that change the code requirements automati-
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 2.17
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION 1page 2
<br />
|