As cities around the world face the challenges of climate change, innovative projects are emerging to promote resilience and equity. From manufactured-home neighborhoods in Houston to community-led initiatives in São Paulo, these pioneering efforts demonstrate that local progress can be a powerful force for creating more just and sustainable cities.
Weathering the Climate Crisis: Innovative Projects from Around the Globe
In a groundbreaking book, “The Equitably Resilient City,” Lawrence Vale and Zachary B. Lamb highlight 12 case studies that demonstrate how low- and middle-income communities are driving climate progress while minimizing displacement.
One such project is Pasadena Trails, a manufactured-home neighborhood in southeast suburban Houston, where residents bought the land under their homes and implemented better drainage systems. This initiative not only helped them weather Hurricane Harvey in 2017 but also a winter freeze in 2021 without major damage.
The Resident Owned Community (ROC) model, which allows manufactured-home residents to own the land under their homes, is gaining momentum in the U.S. This approach enables communities to take action against climate risks and reduces the threat of eviction. Vale and Lamb’s book showcases how this model can be replicated globally.
A Holistic Approach to Climate Resilience
The authors emphasize that climate adaptation requires a multifaceted approach, addressing four essential elements: livelihoods, environment, governance, and security (LEGS). By integrating these components, communities can create equitable progress on multiple fronts. The book’s case studies demonstrate how local groups have successfully implemented projects that meet their needs while promoting environmental progress.
For instance, in São Paolo, Brazil, low-income residents of a hilly favela benefited from new housing on undeveloped land less prone to landslides. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, community groups worked together to create a fairer solution to flooding, limiting displacement and supporting local livelihoods.
Local Progress Matters
Vale and Lamb stress the importance of local progress in addressing climate change. By empowering communities to develop projects that meet their needs, they can create more resilient and equitable cities. The authors highlight small-scale initiatives like the Paris OASIS program, which has developed cleverly designed school playgrounds that provide environmental education opportunities while mitigating flooding and urban heat.
These local projects can serve as inspiration for others to adapt to their own situations, regardless of their city’s unique geography or governance structure. As Vale notes, “The hope is they serve as an inspiration for people to adapt to their own situations.”
Pathways to Equitable Climate Adaptation
The book’s case studies demonstrate that climate adaptation can be both equitable and effective. By mobilizing public and private resources, cities can become more resilient in the face of climate change while promoting social equity. As Lamb notes, “These cases suggest pathways where those resources can make cities both more resilient in the face of climate change and more equitable.”
The authors’ work has been praised by scholars, including Eric Klinenberg, director of New York University’s Institute for Public Knowledge, who calls the book “at once scholarly, constructive, and uplifting.” Vale also teaches these concepts to his MIT students, finding that they are eager to apply technical skills to urgent global challenges.
Conclusion
“The Equitably Resilient City” offers a beacon of hope in the face of climate change. By highlighting innovative projects from around the globe, Vale and Lamb demonstrate that equitable climate adaptation is not only possible but also essential for creating more resilient and just cities. As Vale says, “Give us an opportunity, and we’ll show you what a place can be.
