Document Type

Executive Summary

Publication Date

9-2018

Keywords

Climate Resilience, Infrastructure Adaptation, Municipal Climate Governance

Disciplines

Civil and Environmental Engineering | Environmental Studies | Political Science | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Sociology | Urban Studies and Planning

Abstract

As the impacts of climate change intensify, coastal cities like Boston face increasing threats from sea level rise, extreme precipitation, and storm surges. This report, produced by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston, examines the role of governance in preparing Boston’s built environment for these evolving risks. Building upon the foundational work of the Climate Ready Boston initiative, the report outlines critical governance functions necessary for climate adaptation, including institutional coordination, regulatory reform, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making. Emphasizing a multiscalar governance approach, it analyzes the tools available at local, regional, state, and federal levels and highlights the importance of adaptive, equitable, and resilient policy frameworks. Key recommendations include revising zoning codes, establishing new flood-resilience overlay districts, and creating a Climate Resilience Design Commission to standardize adaptation strategies. The report calls for both incremental reforms and transformational governance to enable long-term urban resilience in the face of accelerating climate change. By addressing physical risks to infrastructure and promoting inclusive, forward-looking planning, the study contributes a governance-centered framework for urban climate resilience that can inform practice in other vulnerable metropolitan regions.

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PROJECT TEAM
David Cash, Rebecca Herst (Project Manager), Stephanie Kruel, Deanna Moran, Robert L. Turner, Stacy VanDeveer, Michael T. Wilson, Julie Wormser

REVIEWERS
John Cleveland, Matthew J. Kiefer, Barbara Landau, David Levy, Mia Mansfeld, Sammy Nabulsi, Bud Ris, Linda Shi, Carl Spector, Sasha Shydurof, Katie Teoharides, Jill Valdes Horwood

CONTRIBUTORS
Wilson Rickerson and Michael Wu, Policy Fellows at the Center for Climate and Security and co-founders of Converge Strategies, LLC

Community Engaged/Serving

Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage

Publisher

Sustainable Solutions Lab

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