How communities can manage climate-induced relocation successfully and equitably.

A new paper published in Nature Climate Change examines the financial, physical, and cultural outcomes of managed retreat through 14 examples from around the world.
As Ysabelle Kempe explains in Smart Cities Dive, the authors found that strong community engagement is key to successful ‘planned relocation’—the linguistic distinction matters, according to the study—which can occur when neighborhoods or towns find themselves at risk from coastal erosion, flooding, or other climate factors that make living in their current location unsustainable.
The study found that characteristics of the new location matter, but geographic distance may not be the most important factor in how easily people adjust: elevation change, social networks, and other factors can also impact how comfortable people feel in a new community.
The authors emphasize that “Planned relocation should never be the only option,” but that “It should be an open conversation where communities are informed about the range of options and then given their own time and space to come to conclusions about what makes sense.”
According to the study, “There's evidence to suggest that adaptation works best when it happens in a polycentric governance scheme involving many scales of government,” from national to local.
FULL STORY: What managed retreat around the world can teach US cities

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Poorest NYC Neighborhoods Pay Price for Delivery Boom
The rise of ‘last-mile’ e-commerce warehouses — and their attendant truck traffic and air pollution — is disproportionately impacting the most historically disadvantaged parts of the city.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
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