Provia Guidance on Assessing Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change

2013

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The Federal Highway Administration’s Climate Change & Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment Framework

2012

Download The Federal Highway Administration’s Climate Change & Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment Framework

This report is a guide for transportation agencies interested in assessing their vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. It gives an overview of key steps in conducting vulnerability assessments and uses in-practice examples to demonstrate a variety of ways to gather and process information. The framework is comprised of three key steps: defining study objectives and scope; assessing vulnerability; and incorporating results into decision making.

A Self-Assessment to Address Climate Change Readiness in Your Community

2012

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The purpose of this self-assessment is to provide community leaders, administrators, planners, engineers, public work directors, and/or natural resource managers with a simple and inexpensive method to review their community’s potential vulnerabilities to climate trends and to begin the conversation of how and when to incorporate these trends into planning and projects within our communities. Municipal staff will fill out simple, straightforward checklists to assess the status of the following nine categories of municipal infrastructure: (more…)

Making Our Airports Aspirational: A Sustainable Path

2012

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This sustainability plan, designed for the City of Chicago, Illinois’, two international airports – O’Hare and Midway – is a supplement to the City of Chicago’s 2009 City-wide sustainability plan.

Accelerating Adaptation in Canadian Communities

2012

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In 2012, the Clean Air Partnership (CAP) connected with municipal representatives across Ontario and identified a number of key recurring gaps related to climate change adaptation in Ontario municipalities. Accelerating Adaptation in Canadian Communities is a series of nine case studies and three webinars.

By developing these case studies and addressing gaps in climate change adaptation in Ontario, CAP hopes to: Review and update understanding of the current state of climate change adaptation in Ontario municipalities; describe the experiences of municipalities that have begun adaptation actions; and motivate more municipalities to undertake adaptation measures.

Climate Change Planning: Case Studies from Canadian Communities (2012)

2012

Download Climate Change Planning: Case Studies from Canadian Communities (2012)

The Climate Change Planning report developed by the Canadian Institute of Planners in 2012 is a compendium of ten case studies on climate change adaptation planning in communities across Canada. Each study presents data on a planning process in four phases:

The Project phase offers a brief description of the case; the Essentials phase presents key lessons learned and major tools developed or used throughout the process; the Specifics phase details the project’s approach, steps, barriers, results, time and costs; and the Contact phase provides users with contact details of knowledgeable proponents of the project. The case studies included in the report are:

• Tantramar Dykelands Infrastructure at Risk (Sackville, New Brunswick)
• Toronto Green Standard (Toronto, Ontario)
• Waterfront Toronto’s Carbon Tool (Toronto, Ontario)
• Hot Weather Response Plan (Sudbury, Ontario)
• Ecological Footprint and Land Use Scenarios (Calgary, Alberta)
• Planning for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (Red Deer, Alberta)
• Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (Prince George, British Columbia)
• Gibsons Harbour Area Plan (Gibsons, British Columbia)
• Interim Flood Construction Levels (Vancouver, British Columbia)
• Flood Management Planning in Delta (Delta, British Columbia)

Mississauga’s Living Green Master Plan

2012

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This plan is the City of Mississauga, Ontario’s first environmental master plan. The plan seeks to identify priority environmental actions, measure the City’s environmental performance, provide information to citizens about living green in their own homes, and to instill environmental consciousness into the corporate DNA.

The plan will also help the city implement further municipal strategic plans, allocate resources, collaborate among departments on environmental matters, and develop baseline targets and indicators to measure success.

Syndromic Surveillance System for Heat-related Illnesses (2012)

2012

Download Syndromic Surveillance System for Heat-related Illnesses (2012)

Due to the increasing frequency of extreme heat events in Ontario (and the continued increase expected due to climate changes), the province of Ontario is working closely with health units to reduce the health issues that are caused by such events. Current research efforts include a pilot project which uses existing syndromic surveillance systems that have been adjusted to monitor the progression of heat events and the occurrences of heat-related illnesses in real time.

The case study reviews the process and results of this study and discusses the challenges involved with delivering such a program.

Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative

2012

The Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative provides information and resources about the terrestrial invasive species Phragmites australis. This grass is an invasive plant that has spread rapidly around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Region and overtakes other plants. It has particularly affected wetlands in Ontario.

Visit site Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative

How are American Cities Planning for Climate Change – An Evaluation of Climate Action Planning in Chicago, IL, and Portland, OR

2012

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Contending with a changing climate presents a necessary push for planning. Policymakers are recognizing the need for action at the local level. This thesis evaluates the implementation of Climate Action Plans for Chicago, IL and Portland, OR. The studies help elicit an understanding of the measures cites are employing to mitigate climate change and determine ways the planning profession can better assist communities in climate policy development and its prompt implementation.