Governing Climate Change: Shifting Priorities in Urban Decision Making

Originally aired January 31, 2013, Co-produced by Abt Associates and the National Council for Science and the Environment

Download the webinar’s pdf slides – click here

Rapid urbanization is happening across the world, and many key urban issues are not fully explored.  Policy choices made now will determine whether the unprecedented rise in urban population in the coming decades results in sustainable development or business as usual.  The ramifications of climate disruptions and shifting population dynamics  are felt at the municipal level, making cities catalysts for change.  Urban planning is being rethought and re-engineered to include risk assessment and resiliency measures with respect to climate change implications and increasingly diverse populations. The session explores international challenges to conventional climate adaptation methods, national accomplishments and innovations in state and local planning, and community collaborative decision making.

See the webinar at https://www.screencast.com/t/V3zq7kqcx

Andrew Stoeckle, Vice President, Environment & Resources with Abt Associates, moderates a panel discussion between:

  • Sam Merrill, Director of the New England Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine and President of Catalysis Adaptation Partners, a consulting firm specializing in cost-benefit analysis modeling to aid with resilience planning decision making;
  • Marcia Gowen Trump, Abt Principal Associate,  an environmental and development economist with expertise in climate change mitigation and adaptation project development, planning and economics as well as environmental valuation, gender impacts of household income diversification, and carbon market investment; and
  •  Adhir Kackar, Senior Policy Analyst at the US EPA with a land use planning background, works on smart growth, brownfield redevelopment, and environmental justice.