GreenStep City Best Practices: Resilient Economic and Community Development
Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience No. 29
Plan and prepare for extreme weather, adapt to changing climatic conditions, and foster stronger community connectedness and social and economic vitality.
For example, the Regional Climate Summaries (UMN, 2024) with information on projected temperature and precipitation changes, as well as key climate impacts to sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
The Minnesota CliMAT (climate mapping and analysis tool) (MCAP, 2023) is an interactive online tool that provides highly localized climate projections for Minnesota. Users can view climate projections down to the 4km/2.6mile scale across the state, visualizing even how specific towns will likely be impacted in the coming decades.
See also the Minnesota Climate projections (MCAP, 2020) which uses statistical downscaling to provide map that project changes to MN Climate mid century (2041-2060) and end of century (2081-2100).
See also the Climate Explore Tool (DNR, 2021) which uses the Minnesota Climate Projections to visualize both historical and future climate data.
The Minnesota Climate & Health Vulnerability Assessment Tool (MDH, 2019) is a platform to visualize datasets that can contribute to a community’s vulnerability to extreme heat and floods.
Risk Factor makes it easy to search by address or community to see its risk from flooding, wildfire, heat, and wind. past flood impacts, current risks, and future projections based on peer-reviewed research from the world's leading flood modelers.
Neighborhoods at Risk provides socioeconomic and climate data to help communities visualize potential problems and make informed decisions to adapt to long-term climate change.
Wildfire Risk to Communities provides interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce risks to wildfires.
The Next American Migration: What Cities Should Know About Climate Change and Populations on the Move (NLC, 2022) report provides city leaders with the information they need to better understand the complexities of climate migration and proactively prepare for the future. It offers federal, state and local leaders recommendations on how they can incorporate climate change impacts and resulting population shifts into their municipal budgets, programs and long-term plans.
See the Model Heat Vulnerability Assessment for Ramsey County as a framework for translating the data into a stakeholder report.
Planning:
Menu of Climate Adaptation Strategies (funded by MPCA) includes many "no regrets" strategies to improve daily quality of life for everyone, while helping reduce risk for those most vulnerable to climate impacts. Also view specific reports for 23 Minnesota communities.
Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning: A Framework (2020, NACRP) provides a vital opportunity for cities to reorganize resources, foster meaningful relationships, and develop placed-based innovations that support all people to thrive despite climate disruption.
Four city’s climate adaptation plans, process documents, and adaptation plan toolkits for their counties developed by Albert Lea, Burnsville, Faribault, and Maplewood with extensive community engagement during the pandemic.
The MN Board of Water and Soil Resources' Landscape Resiliency Toolbox provides landscape planning options that will maintain long-term ecological, economic and social benefits.
A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu (GLIFWC: 2019) is a tool to assist in development of specific adaptation actions that recognize and incorporate Native American (Ojibwe and Menominee) perspectives.
Include in your plan or adopt an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement - See BPA 6.1.
The Participatory Budgeting Project empowers people to decide together how to spend public money by creating and supporting participatory budgeting processes that deepen democracy, build stronger communities, and make public budgets more equitable and effective.
Conduct an assessment of climate hazards and vulnerabilities, including for vulnerable and underserved demographic groups within the community; identify important assets and key adaptation/resilience opportunities. Report more detailed assessments under BPAs 29.5 and 29.7.
Create and adopt a climate adaptation/resilience plan that is used for the city’s comprehensive planning, policy-making, and budgeting using public engagement processes which must involve proactive outreach and meaningful participation of vulnerable and underserved demographic groups to identify and develop strategies and implementation actions that will equitably increase resilience of the community’s residents to the impacts of climate change; hold meetings in diverse and accessible locations, provide translators and interpreters, childcare, stipends, and/or meals for residents during community engagement meetings; include an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement at the beginning of the plan or within the sustainability section.
Based on the direction provided by an assessment of climate vulnerabilities and/or a climate adaptation/resilience plan, spend funds on tangible improvements that can be demonstrated to provide equitable adaptation and increased community resilience for vulnerable and underserved demographic groups and the community overall.
Who's doing it
Albert Lea - 2 star
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2018
Implementation details:
Ted Redmond of Pale Blue Dot conducted a high-level assessment of climate vulnerabilities. The City created a website that uses data from the plan as a premise to discuss the amount of impervious surface within the city. In addition to that, city staff generated press about the website to involve residents and engage Albert Leans in a discussion about how space is used within downtown AL.
City of Bloomington participated in a workshop series to identify opportunities to build resilience related to local climate change. Recommendations are being developed to include in the Bloomington Comprehensive Plan update, estimated for completion in 2018. See attached file for specific details.
In 2018 Duluth published their Population Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Framework which identified the specific impacts Duluth can expect to see in the next 100 years. It also identified particular populations in Duluth that will be especially vulnerable to these changes, as well as suggestions for possible actions that could help the city adapt to future changes.
A Falcon Heights Resiliency Analysis was completed in the spring of 2016. To follow up on this effort, the City of Falcon Heights held a Resiliency Event on June 13, 2016, supported with Best Practice 29 Event Sponsorship funding. Held in the Council Chambers, this event engaged residents from Falcon Heights and neighboring cities. Presenters included Erin Rupp from Pollinate MN, Trevor Drake from CERTs, and Alex Van Loh from Master Water Stewards Program. Abby Finis from the Great Plains Institute presented the Resiliency Analysis. The goal of this event was twofold: 1) to inform residents about what the city has been doing to incorporate resilience into its planning and operation efforts, and 2) to engage and motivate residents to take their own action to enhance resilience in the community. Several aspects of resilience can take place at people’s homes. This event served as a practical workshop to guide and inform residents about what they can do to increase energy efficiency, consider renewable energy options, plant pollinator friendly yards, and reduce their impact on storm water contaminants. The attendees numbered in the 20-30 range with residents from Lauderdale, Falcon Heights and Roseville. It was a diverse representation of all cities. Members of the Falcon Heights Environmental Commission also attended. Attendees participated in interactive components of the event through real-time polling through their smart devices. There were also numerous opportunities for attendees to ask questions and engage in rich dialogue about the topics presented.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The Resiliency Analysis will serve as the foundation from which the City will pursue incorporating resilience into its comprehensive planning effort. (Click on "view file" below to see the Resiliency Analysis.) The event was a pivotal step in engaging the community and the commission in resiliency topics. Many of the ideas and concepts presented at the event were new to the attendees and created an environment of action. (Click on the descriptive link below to see a video of the event.) Feedback was received after the event and through follow-up conversations with attendees and with the Environmental Commission members that attended. The feedback was extremely positive. There was a lot of excitement around the topic of pollinators and resiliency. The Environmental Commission decided to draft a pollinator resolution. Other areas of interest included the Good Acre CSA that began operations this summer as well as composting initiatives. Ideas that carried the most attention were those that could be done at the home or by individuals. There was interest by attendees and the Environmental Commission to continue events like this in the future. The Commission also will be looking at creating more feedback from the community at-large through surveys on the City’s listserv and through newsletters.
With support from MPCA, paleBLUEdot worked with the City of Faribault to create a Population Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Framework. In 2019, we will be integrating this work into our Comprehensive Plan. We will then integrate this work into our Ordinances.
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - 2 star
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2016
Implementation details:
In 2016, Fond du Lac was a part of a inter-tribal assessment of climate change vulnerability for species in the region. The study reviewed climate vulnerability in all 1854 Ceded territory, including the Fond du Lac, Bois Forte, and Grand Portage Reservations.
In 2017, FDL updated our own Integrated Resource Management Plan, updating management practices and recommendations for the conservation of water/wetlands, fisheries, land resources, forestry, wildlife, and air quality. Additionally, the plan outlines best
practices for resource conservation and enforcement, recreational resources, and energy resource management.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaption Plan for 1854 Ceded Territory is updated at least every five and ideally every three years. This will ensure that new climate science, new details about local climate impacts, and information about species and ecosystem adaptation are taken into account in our efforts to create a climate resilient region.
Fond du Lac's own Integrated Resource Management Plan is updated every ten years to ensure the conservation and long term sustainability of it's natural resources.
2023/2024 - Climate Mitigation: Maplewood is in the process of drafting a Climate Mitigation Plan that will guide the City toward reduced emissions and will serve as a compliment to the City's Climate Adaptation Plan. The first phase of the project included climate mitigation outreach and education in 2023, followed by the creation of a draft plan with Maplewood stakeholders. Part of the outreach was the creation of a Climate Mitigation survey that will help shape the City's greenhouse gas reduction priorities. In 2024 the City will begin drafting the Climate Mitigation Plan with the assistance of a consultant and stakeholders.
2021 - Climate Adaptation: Maplewood adopted a Climate Adaptation plan on May 24, 2021. The strategies and actions contained in the plan will increase Maplewood’s resilience to climate impacts and help prioritize sustainable uses of land and water, reduce waste, and support improved equity and livability.
Through a grant from the MPCA, Oakdale was about to complete a Population Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Framework report. This report included a review of past and projected climate change impacts, identification of vulnerable populations, and development of of adaptation strategies. The report was used to inform the goals and policies in the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update.
During 2016, the City of Red Wing has integrated climate resilience into city strategic planning, operations and budgeting processes. First, the City Council included within its 2016 Strategic Plan two projects: 1) Strategy I.D.10 to "develop a community resiliency plan to identify and prepare a plan to adapt to potential impacts of climate change" with implementation designated for 2017 and 2) Strategy III.H.2 to "strengthen staff support for the Sustainability Commission." Within the 2017 City Budget, the Council approved a half-time position for the City to fill a formal Sustainability Coordinator role who will take the lead in resiliency planning. Operationally, the Human Resource department has approved a Sustainability Coordinator job description.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The City of Red Wing human resource department is currently in the process of attempting to fill the Sustainability Coordinator position. Once the new coordinator is hired, the Resiliency planning will commence. The City additionally has recently appointed a new emergency manager who finished his emergency management certification and will participate in all hazards planning efforts such as resiliency planning.
The City Strategic Plan also provides the following goals:
* a new emergency manager who will participate in all hazards planning efforts;
* a Code Red Program that informs residents of emergency information via automatic phone recordings;
* the goal of fostering an active, healthy citizenry in which all residents feel listened to, engaged, and connected;
* the goal to improve communication with residents about city news, policies, and activities using multiple media forms; and
* the plan to hire a communication staff person to facilitate proactive communication
Roseville was a core team partner with the 2023 Rice Creek Watershed District in their community resiliency planning process, helping to define goals and topics to cover, what map layers would be helpful to have during the process, and to identify and invite stakeholders to attend two community workshops. Each workshop was 4 hours long and included discussion and mapping of community vulnerabilities, which were synthesized into a final report outlining top themes and strategies identified. This corresponds with Gold Leaf action CP4.
Through a grant from the MPCA, Roseville was able to have a consultant create a Population Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Framework Report. The report:
1. Identifies and maps the climate vulnerable populations to the extent the data is available (e.g. unemployed and/or residents earning less than 200% poverty level, adults 65 and older, residents with disabilities, residents with vulnerable health conditions, children under 5, higher risk occupation groups, indigenous peoples, people of color, residents with limited English, environmental justice communities).
2. Describes the climate change impacts (e.g. extreme precipitation, extreme heat waves, warmer winters and nights, etc.) and risk factors to the extent the data is available (e.g. flood history and risk, air quality considerations, tree canopy, food access considerations, population health such as heart attack and asthma rates, vector borne disease incidence) likely to affect the City.
3. Explores how these impacts and risk factors may affect each of the climate vulnerable populations to create areas of vulnerability.
4. Provides a detailed menu of climate adaptation strategies for the city to consider and perhaps implement to reduce vulnerability and risk for each of the climate vulnerable populations.
The city of Warren participated in an assessment of vulnerability conducted by PaleBlueDot. The city participated in the assessment via face to face interview and phone calls.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The report is published on the city of Warren website for residents to read and consider actions to be taken.
In the shared Emergency Operations Plan with West Metro Fire-Rescue District, Crystal has done a risk assessment of the community, determined a congregate care facility (the Crystal Community Center) and communications plan.
The City retained the services of a consultant to assist with the development of its first Resilience and Sustainability Plan. Writing of the plan began in fall of 2016 and was completed in fall of 2017. To first gain an understanding of the existing conditions, the consultant conducted a vulnerability assessment covering natural and built infrastructure assets as well as economic and social vulnerabilities. Focus groups, interviews with local business representatives, and a community survey were used to gather feedback from the community which directly influenced the development of the plan. The subject of one of the focus groups was supporting vulnerable populations in Golden Valley and was composed of people working to provide social services to vulnerable populations in Golden Valley. Results from the community outreach effort as well as the vulnerability assessment led to the development of six goals:
1) Promote and Develop Clean, Renewable Energy
2) Improve Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Lighting and Infrastructure
3) Promote Waste Reduction, Recycling and Composting
4) Protect and Enhance the Natural Environment
5) Plan for Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure
6) Increase Community Resilience and Preparedness.
These goals, along with their associated objectives, policies, and implementation strategies will be incorporated into the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan update as a separate chapter on Resilience and Sustainability. The Comprehensive Plan update will be adopted by City Council in 2018.
On June 30, after a period of working with leaders in St. Anthony Village, a suburb of Minneapolis, to determine goals and needs, USGBC Minnesota led community leaders and green community industry experts through a strategic planning process. With assistance from facilitator Brian Ross of Great Plains Institute, USGBC Minnesota used an augmented ADVANCE framework to determine goals that would support St. Anthony Village’s comp planning process.
The comprehensive plan addresses land use, transportation, water resources, parks and trails, housing, resilience, economic competitiveness and implementation. ADVANCE St. Anthony Village set goals and discussed resources for support in the areas of transportation and location, sustainable sites and water and energy and atmosphere that will help weave sustainable goals throughout the completed plan. St. Anthony Village is also working with WSB & Associates, Inc. to complete their comprehensive plan—fantastic and willing advocates in the discussions that transpired.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
This resulted in a clearer direction for the Comprehensive Plan update in relation to sustainability and resiliency and where the city as a whole should be headed.
Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the City worked with a variety of partners to develop a "Strategic Framework for Community Resiliency." The framework will inform the city's Climate Action and Resiliency Plan.
