Best Practices Library
Welcome to the searchable Best Practices Library! To submit a Best Practice from your municipality, click here.
To use the Best Practices Library, combine any of the below search methods:
- Enter a term in the left-hand “Search” box
- Select a Category (or Categories) under which you would like to find resources. Categories sort by topic of interest.
- Select a Tag(s) under which you would like to find resources. Tags sort by Program, Region, or Type of document.
- Documents may be sorted by Name or by Date via the dropdown menu under the “Search” box.
The Cities Initiative also maintains a French version of the Best Practices Library. Click here to access the French library.
The Best Practices Library is a dynamic, searchable database of Best Practices, Tools, and Information Documents that are specific to municipal issues in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Region. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact admin@glslcities.org.
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Toward Sustainable Municipal Water Management 2013-2016
Montréal’s Green CiTTS Report Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
2016 REPORT
Montréal has made a commitment to report on its progress every three years. This interval facilitates the assessment of progress in sustainable municipal water management since it can take several years for actions deployed by the city to become detectable. This report thus covers the period from 2013 to 2016. It is presented as follows;
• The 2016 Report uses the same chart that was used in 2013.
• The Assessment Scorecard Chart illustrates the trend between 2013 and 2016 in regards to the milestones retained. The color code for the 2013 trends was improved, as it now refers, where applicable, to the degree to which the city has attained a measurable objective.
• For each milestone, a more detailed presentation includes a description of indicators and highlights for the 2013-2016 period, along with expectations for the years to come.
• An additional two milestones were assessed, bringing the number of milestones assessed to 20 out of the 25 proposed under the Framework. -
Monarch Conservation in America’s Cities: A Solutions Guide for Municipal Leaders
National Wildlife Federation's Monarch Conservation in America's Cities: A Solutions Guide for Municipal Leaders is for mayors, local government chief executives, municipal staff and others that want to take action to help save the declining monarch butterfly in their community. This guide provides case studies and shares innovative best practices that can be replicated by municipalities across the nation. It includes model language for proclamations, ordinances and other best practices. By learning from one another and understanding what has worked (and what hasn’t) cities can more effectively and more quickly take action and make a difference for the monarch. If your municipality has a model monarch butterfly conservation program or initiative, please contact NWF at mayorsmonarchpledge@nwf.org. For local government executives interested in pledging their commitment to monarch butterfly conservation, check out and sign NWF's Mayors' Monarch Pledge.
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ClearPath (ICLEI Energy and Emissions management tool)
“ClearPath is a powerful, advanced web application for energy and emissions management. As a cloud-based tool, it’s easier than ever to store your data, collaborate with colleagues, and use new features as soon as they are available. With hundreds of users, ClearPath is the most widely-used software tool for managing local climate mitigation efforts.”
Visit site ClearPath (ICLEI Energy and Emissions management tool)
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Root River Environmental Education Center: Racine, Wisconsin
The City of Racine, Wisconsin's Root River Environmental Education Community Center serves the community as a center for information about the natural world. The Center also provides and experiential connection between citizens and the Great Lakes.
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Ontario Climate Consortium Climate Research Network
The Ontario Climate Consortium Climate Research Network represents a distributed network of scientists and researchers from across Ontario. The database of researchers provides a tool for individuals and organizations in the private and public sector to seek out researchers and experts with climate change expertise in various disciplines. This database also provides the ability for researchers themselves to seek out colleagues and collaborators to address interdisciplinary research challenges.
Visit site Ontario Climate Consortium Climate Research Network
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Mapping Socioeconomics and Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
Developed in partnership with the Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities (GLAA-C) at the University of Michigan,Mapping Demographics and Climate Change – Socioeconomics and Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region is an interactive map showing how the social and economic characteristics of the Great Lakes Region are impacted by regionally specific changes in climate. The map features statistical information on over 225 counties throughout the Great Lakes region.The site includes maps for Economy, Infrastructure and Vulnerable Populations.
Visit site Mapping Socioeconomics and Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
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Assessing the Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change Training Tool
Created by the Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative on Drinking Water Source Protection, Assessing the Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change is a training program aimed at helping practitioners better understand climate change science and the potential effects of climate change on watershed hydrology and water resources.
Visit site Assessing the Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change Training Tool
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Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Planning Guide
The Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Planning Guide is a new resource aimed at connecting planners and coastal, floodplain and stormwater managers with the tools and data they need to account for natural hazards and climate change in the Great Lakes. This resource will help Great Lakes counties and municipalities communicate coastal issues and inform existing and future land use, infrastructure, and natural resource plans and policies to enhance community resilience.
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Cities Impacts & Adaptation Tool (CIAT)
The Climate Impacts & Adaptation Tool (CIAT) is a climate adaptation planning support tool for decision makers at the city level in the Great Lakes Region of North America. It provides usable data such as demographics, socioeconomic data, and both current and projected climate trends. Using this information, the tool also identifies a custom network of climate peers whose current climate reflects how yours may look in the future. The CIAT also provides a searchable database of adaptation strategies pulled from existing climate action plans from across the country.
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ADAPT (ICLEI climate change adaptation software)
“ADAPT is a cloud-based software application for managing local climate preparedness analysis and planning processes. It provides a convenient way to organize preparedness efforts, enabling local government staff to scope out a process, identify and manage stakeholders, and conduct vulnerability and risk assessments”.
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City of Evanston – 2014 Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Evaluation Report
The City of Evanston, Illinois evaluated its municipal water management through the Cities Initiative's Sustainable Municipal Water Management framework and published this report in September 2014.
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Carling, Ontario: Mapping Water Levels
The Township of Carling is working with several government and non-government organizations to map shoreline water levels. The township will be able to use this data to run scenarios to predict the impact of climate change and changing water levels on its residents and businesses. In addition, the Township is modifying its Georgian Bay access point infrastructure to be able to fluctuate with changing water levels.
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Ajax, Ontario: Rain Gardens
The City of Ajax designed and installed three Rain Gardens near Lake Ontario to improve surface water runoff infiltration. The City also implemented two “bio-swales” that will also improve surface water infiltration but are specifically designed to improve beach quality and swimmability.
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Collingwood, Ontario: Climate Adaptation Measures
The Town of Collingwood, Ontario, has implemented several programs to further their climate adaptation efforts. These include the Quench Buggy, which aims to promote Collingwood’s tap water and reduce plastic water bottles used at local events; their Water and Energy Conservation Strategy; a
Wastewater Plant Cogeneration Retrofit, which will generate electricity for the plant, using what was previously a waste by-product; and an Energy Audit, the recommendations of which are being developed into a Conservation & Demand Management (CDM) plan.Wastewater Treatment Cogeneration Study
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Sarnia, Ontario: Climate Change Adaptation Measures
The City of Sarnia, Ontario has implemented or plans to implement many climate adaptation measures. The City is working in the areas of Parks and Recreation, Transit, Engineering & Public Works, Emergency Management, Land Use Planning, Facilities Planning, and Finance & Legal to implement climate adaptation strategies.
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Mississauga: Climate Change Adaptation Plans
“The City of Mississauga is a partner in the Peel Climate Change Strategy that has a number of climate change mitigation and adaptation action (http://www.peelregion.ca/planning/climatechange/reports/index.htm).
The City is also involved in a number projects and initiatives aimed at increasing local resiliency
Including:
– A vulnerability assessment of the Port Credit Community in Mississauga (led by the Region of Peel)
– A Stormwater Financing study to examine how to fund stormwater projects and infrastructure
– Conducted Low Impact Development Pilot Project along Elm Street
As part of the work completed by the Region of Peel, the City will receive 100 year future climate
projections for Peel later this year. The City will be using that data to determine and prioritise new
adaptation actions” -
Niagara Region, Ontario: Climate Change Adaptation
Niagara Region is adapting to climate change through their Water Strategy, their Community Climate Change Action Plan, their Community Plan, and their Corporate Plan. In their Water Strategy, they highlight the goal of “Water Resiliency,” which “focuses on enhancing our understanding and ability to adapt to changes to our climate, economy and population that may impact water resources.”
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Township of the Archipelago, Ontario: Adapting to Changing Water Levels
The Township of the Archipelago has addressed Climate Change Adaptation through capital improvement measures related to changing water levels, such as modifications to docks, wharfs, channels, and access points.
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Thunder Bay, Ontario: Climate Adaptation Strategy
“The City of Thunder Bay is developing a Climate Adaptation Strategy to build community resilience, reduce the risks inherent in climate change, and take advantage of opportunities associated with current and future impacts of climate change. Through the development of a Climate Change Adaption Strategy, the City of Thunder Bay aims to: 1) identify the impacts related to climate change in Thunder Bay and the risk they pose to our various service sectors and to our community, and 2) propose actions to reduce risk and vulnerability associated with climate changes impacts through adaptive measures.”
Visit site Thunder Bay, Ontario: Climate Adaptation Strategy
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Oshawa, Ontario: Climate Change Adaptation Programs
The City of Oshawa has implemented a number of Climate Change adaptation measures. From floodline mapping, to developing a regional climate adaptation plan, to citizen outreach initiatives, the town has been actively involved in climate change adaptation.
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Milwaukee’s Comprehensive Sustainability and Water Plan
“The City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s…”ReFresh Milwaukee” program covers eight issue areas (buildings, energy, food system, human capital, land & urban ecosystems, mobility, resource recovery and water) and identifies two catalytic projects where adaptation and resiliency are at the core of the projects (“Inner Harbor 2020” economic and ecological redevelopment of Milwaukee’s inner harbor and the Milwaukee estuary; and HOME GR/OWN which increases access and demand for local healthy food). Across the eight issue areas there 25 goals and 53 targets for the City and its partners to achieve in the next 10 years.”
Visit site Milwaukee’s Comprehensive Sustainability and Water Plan
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Grand Rapids Climate Change Reports
The City of Grand Rapids has developed a Climate Resiliency Report, Sustainability Plan, and a report on Energy Baselines and Greenhouse Gas Inventory. “The city is working to achieve many resiliency-oriented targets. [Their] main focus is on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent impacts of climate change by reducing overall energy demand and fossil fuel consumption of the City. The City is additionally working to ensure the safety of all citizens against unpredictable extreme weather events… All of these actions are being taken in an effort to secure a growing economy while ensuring the safety of all citizens against an uncertain, changing environment.”
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Milwaukee 2014 Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Evaluation Report
The 2014 Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Evaluation Report (SPER) of Milwaukee has been developed for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) in the context of the Sustainable Municipal Water Management (SMWM) declaration. This report is based on six axes: Water Conservation and Efficiency, Shared Water Stewardship, Shoreline and Waterways Restoration, Water Pollution Prevention, Water Protection Planning and Water Preparedness for Climate Change.
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National Stormwater Calculator
EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records.
It is designed to be used by anyone interested in reducing runoff from a property, including
- site developers,
- landscape architects,
- urban planners, and
- homeowners.
The Calculator accesses several national databases that provide soil, topography, rainfall, and evaporation information for the chosen site.
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NOAA Digital Coast
Digital Coast (NOAA Coastal Services Center) is a website that provides the coastal intelligence (e.g. data, tools, training, and stories) needed to conserve natural resources and make coastal communities more resilient. The Tools section of the website has links to 52 different tools to help address coastal issues, 11 of which are specific to climate adaptation.
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St. Catharines Sustainable Municipal Water Management Report
“St. Catharines Sustainable Municipal Water Management Program” is a report made by the City of St. Catharines within the Green CiTTs Program. This assessment is based on the SMWM six milestones and covers drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and climate change issues. 2014.
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Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Toolkit
Developed by EcoAdapt and Freshwater Future, the Great Lakes Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit was created to help Great Lakes Communities respond to the effects of climate change impacts. The toolkit which is available free of charge includes: a primer on climate adaptation, case studies, guidance on communication, fact sheets, and EcoAdapt’s Climate Vulnerability Assessment Quick Guide.
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Grand Rapids Climate Resiliency Report
“The Grand Rapids [Michigan] Climate Resiliency Report builds local expertise on top of climate science, research, and analysis.
The primary goal of the Report is to spur a community conversation leading to processes that will enable Grand Rapids to build a more climate-resilient city. The secondary goal is to spur many specific, short- and near-term projects, policies, programs, and planning actions that enable Grand Rapids to mitigate the effects of climate change, adapt to its impacts, and harness emerging opportunities.” – from the Report's Executive Summary
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Exploring Health and Social Impacts of Climate Change in Toronto
Over the coming decades, climate change in Toronto is expected to be characterized by more extreme weather events including extreme heat and severe rainstorms. This report provides an overview of potential health impacts identified in the published research including: more illness and death from extreme heat, poor air quality, and vector-borne disease; more injury and illness arising from flooding of homes and businesses; and impacts on mental health.
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Montreal’s Sustainable Municipal Water Management Report
“Toward sustainable municipal water management” is a report made by the City of Montreal within the Green CiTTs Program. This assessment is based on the SMWM six milestones. 2013.
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Scenario Planning for Climate Change Adaptation: a Guidance for Resource Managers
This document is intended to be a step‐by‐step guide to using scenarios to plan for climate change adaptation. The intended audience includes natural resource managers, planners, scientists and other stakeholders working at a local or regional scale to develop resource management approaches that take future possible climate change impacts and other important uncertainties into account.
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Adapting to Climate Change in Minnesota: 2013 Report of the Interagency Climate Adaptation Team
The 2013 ICAT report highlights how state government is working to adapt to the changing climate, reduce risks and impacts, and increase the resilience of our communities.
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Tools for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments for Watersheds
The purpose of a vulnerability assessment is to generate knowledge that improves understanding of the implications of climate change. The knowledge generated by a vulnerability assessment can inform allocation of resources for climate change planning and adaptation. This compendium of tools was prepared for use by technical experts, adaptation planners and resource managers to develop climate change vulnerability assessments of water quantity and water quality at a watershed scale.
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UKCIP Adaptation Wizard
Hosted by UKCIP, the Adaptation Wizard is a 5-step process that provides a framework and resources to help you generate information to inform your own adaptation strategy.Whether you are new to climate change, or are looking for guidance on how to adapt to climate impacts, the Wizard can help you to: raise your awareness of climate change and adaptation, access information, tools and resources to help you, assess your vulnerability to climate change, make the case for adaptation in your organisation, develop a climate-resilient project, programme, policy or strategy, and develop and implement a climate change adaptation strategy.
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Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change: How Ready is your Health Care Organization
To help health organizations evaluate their preparedness and become more resilient to climate- related risks, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, together with Climate Change Nova Scotia and Health Canada, developed the “Health Care Facility Climate Change Resiliency Toolkit” which includes three components: a resiliency assessment checklist, a facilitator’s guide and an information resource guide.
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Climate Resilience Framework
The Climate Resilience Framework is a conceptual framework for simplifying and analyzing complex relationships between people, systems, institutions and climate change. The framework helps clarify factors that need to be included in the diagnosis of climate vulnerability, structures the systematic analysis of vulnerability in ways that clearly identify the entry points for responding, and supports strategic planning to build resilience to climate change. All training materials are available for free download on this website. You may download an entire series, a single set or activity.
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Building Adaptive & Resilient Communities Tool (BARC)
ICLEI‘s Building Adaptive & Resilient Communities Tool (BARC Tool) is an easy-to-use, one-stop-shop designed to keep track of all your municipal adaptation and resilience information and data as you work through ICLEI’s municipal adaptation methodology. Municipal users will have unlimited access to Milestone One of the Tool, allowing them to take the first significant steps of a climate change adaptation and resilience effort. These include establishing the context for your adaptation plan, identifying key stakeholders, building and tasking your adaptation team, identifying an adaptation champion, taking a first look at your municipality’s existing broader climate change context, accessing local climate data, solidifying the adaptation planning process through a political commitment, and planning how to move further forward on adaptation. The Tool helps set up the fundamental building blocks of a significant municipal adaptation effort.
Visit site Building Adaptive & Resilient Communities Tool (BARC)
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Case Book: The Harms Caused by Low Water Levels in Georgian Bay
The Case Book puts a face on the harm as seen in almost every community around the Bay. While these reports are not a complete picture, they provide evidence of the impact and insight into solutions that will help alleviate the problems facing communities. These reports are intended to shape public debate and assist the mayors of Georgian Bay in successfully obtaining assistance in the near term from both Federal and Provincial levels of government.
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Monitoring & Evaluation for Climate Change Adaptation: a Synthesis of Tools, Frameworks and Approaches
This report represents a synthesis and summary of frameworks for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of climate change adaptation (CCA) interventions. Objective: Provide an easy-to-read synthesis of current adaptation M&E resources, frameworks, and approaches so that practitioners are able to more easily identify the information and tools that are most relevant to their needs; and Provide a short analysis of the “state of play” of adaptation M&E guidance, identifying key themes and reflecting upon gaps and future priorities.
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Preparing for Variable Lake Levels: The Dynamic Great Lakes
With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, lake levels have a huge impact on Michigan’s coastal communities and economies. Lake levels affect coastal properties and infrastructure, as well as plant and wildlife habitat. They also affect shipping, recreation and manufacturing.