Climate change mitigation and adaptation in North American cities

Climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans are developing at a rapid pace, being driven by both local initiatives and emerging alliances and support organizations that cut across multiple jurisdictions. These plans include a broad range of approaches, many of which are evolving into best or leading practices and which will be increasingly used as a model for the plans of other locales. This paper draws attention to several best practices in both mitigation and adaptation for North American cities, and also highlights many of the supporting alliances and groups that disseminate key practices and drive potential synergies. Additionally, it is noted that despite the increasing rate of plan development, a continuing need exists for increased attention to adaptation at the local level.

Research highlights▶ Systematizing the database of local area accomplishments to enable consistent evaluation and the development and dissemination of lessons learned. ▶ Expanding best practices and applications to local areas. ▶ Identifying interaction effects among the different best practices that produce both positive effects (co-benefits) and negative ones as a guide for future planning.