Now more cities are paying increasing attention to sea level rise. In order to best protect our cities from harm and damage, implementation of both mitigation and adaptation strategies in urban planning is essential. Climate mitigation is to reduce environmental impact due to human activities, for example, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate adaptation is to address occurring hazards and unavoidable damage in short coming future, for example, building sea walls.
Boston, as one of the cities most at risks for sea level rise, has actively implemented both mitigation and adaptation strategies. This article aims to examine how successful these different strategies are, in terms of reducing the impact of sea level rising on property and infrastructure. Moreover, another aim is to extract useful and transferable approaches in relation to the context of the City of Sydney.
There are two main resources for this study. The first one is the A Climate of Progress – City of Boston Climate Action Plan Update 2011 which sets out innovative mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as ambitious targets against Boston’s environmental challenges. The second one is the Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update which not only celebrates the success from previous years, but also describes the latest future plan and vision. Furthermore, some other sources are studied and referenced as they provide more in-depth and specific solutions and innovative examples. For example, the Building Resilience in Boston 2013 which mainly focus on climate adaptation strategies for existing buildings.
Boston, as one of the cities most at risks for sea level rise, has actively implemented both mitigation and adaptation strategies. This article aims to examine how successful these different strategies are, in terms of reducing the impact of sea level rising on property and infrastructure. Moreover, another aim is to extract useful and transferable approaches in relation to the context of the City of Sydney.
There are two main resources for this study. The first one is the A Climate of Progress – City of Boston Climate Action Plan Update 2011 which sets out innovative mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as ambitious targets against Boston’s environmental challenges. The second one is the Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update which not only celebrates the success from previous years, but also describes the latest future plan and vision. Furthermore, some other sources are studied and referenced as they provide more in-depth and specific solutions and innovative examples. For example, the Building Resilience in Boston 2013 which mainly focus on climate adaptation strategies for existing buildings.
Figure 1. Cover page of each document (City of Boston 2007 & 2011 & 2014)
A Climate of Progress – City of Boston Climate Action Plan Update 2011
In 2007, an executive order on climate action was issued by Mayor Thomas M. Menino. A set of policies were established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations and to implement climate action strategy in planning of the city. The mayor Thomas M. Menino. has set out goals for reducing 7% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 2007, however after more careful considerations, the Climate Action committee’s recommendation is to reduce greenhouse gas emission 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. It shows the long-term commitment of the city of Boston. The mayor also directed the city government to provide regular update to this long-term action plan. This document is the first update from the original plan in 2007.
This document provides a summary of action plan (see the following table) that demonstrate both mitigation which contributes to the 2020 greenhouse gas emission reduction goal.
Other actions regarding climate adaptation, economy, community engagement and implementations are included in this table as well. For this particular study, climate adaptation is the most relevant for the purpose of this study.
This document provides a summary of action plan (see the following table) that demonstrate both mitigation which contributes to the 2020 greenhouse gas emission reduction goal.
Other actions regarding climate adaptation, economy, community engagement and implementations are included in this table as well. For this particular study, climate adaptation is the most relevant for the purpose of this study.
Figure 2. Climate Action Plan Summary (Boston Climate Action Plan 2011 pp.6-7)
Reference
City of Boston, 2011, A Climate of Progress City of Boston Climate Action Plan Update 2011, City of Boston, Viewed 10 August 2015
http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/A%20Climate%20of%20Progress%20-%20CAP%20 Update%202011_tcm3-25020.pdf
http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/A%20Climate%20of%20Progress%20-%20CAP%20 Update%202011_tcm3-25020.pdf