A report discusses how rising temperatures affect the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and how those effects can be mitigated.
The region faces challenges and opportunities due to climate change, and we can mitigate and reduce extreme heat impacts through thoughtful, collaborative, and proactive planning efforts. The Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) project includes tools and resources for local communities as well as analysis of Metropolitan Council systems and assets, including the following:
- An interactive Localized Flood Screening Map Tool for community use in screening for potential risk of localized flooding from short-term, extreme rain events.
- An interactive Extreme Heat Map Tool for community use in assessing natural or built environment features that affect extreme heat.
- An analysis of Localized Flood Risk vulnerability.
FULL STORY: Keeping Our Cool: Extreme Heat in the Twin Cities Region
Twin Cities Climate Vulnerability: Extreme Heat
State climatologists are highly confident that heat waves are likely to trend upwards in future summers in Minnesota. To address extreme heat, researchers are identifying the factors that exacerbate extreme heat.
U.S. Communities Increasingly at Risk of Extreme Weather Events
As development pushes into more wildfire-prone areas and climate change makes extreme weather conditions more common, more Americans are experiencing the destructive impacts of climate disasters.
Three Ways Cities Can Combat Extreme Heat
As temperatures rise, there are some relatively simple changes cities can implement to cut cooling costs and deal with spells of extreme heat.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service