IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

Cities are acting as catalysts for change by taking steps to meet the Paris Agreement target to prevent global temperatures from rising 1.5 °C. More than 9,000 cities worldwide have agreed to share, implement, and monitor their climate action plans. With so many monumental plans being curated, how can cities be confident that their community feels bought into the strategies? Citizens unlock the key to community buy-in and can be a powerful force for progress when activated. An effective Climate Action Plan must be place-based, meaning its vital to consider a city’s social, economic, and environmental makeup to curate recommendations to community needs. Incorporating community engagement into the climate action planning process is necessary for bringing people together – from residents to policymakers. Generating ideas, identifying priorities, and assessing feasibility as a community creates participatory planning. A community engagement approach must focus on eliciting feedback from citizens of all ages and backgrounds, placing value on local expertise. Strategies such as interviewing subject matter experts and public leaders must be done before articulating any reduction strategy. Community workshops can elicit broad community input on all climate action planning processes. Once strategies are defined, community members can be re-engaged to address strategic feasibility. This talk will outline KERAMIDA’s approach to Climate Action Planning and detail how participatory planning is woven throughout the process.