HomeMy WebLinkAboutUniversity of Iowa Report: Iowa City Climate Action Plan Implementation FinalTitle
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Iowa City Climate and Action Adaptation Strategies
Zhi Chen, Michael Delp, Olivia Felber, Ursula Ferrier
Harrison Freund, Amina Grant, Joshua Harris, Nelson Loring
Hannah Neel, Melisa Ribikawskis
May 2019
School of Urban and Regional Planning
URP:6256:0001 Environmental Policy and Management
Scott Spak, Lucie Laurian
Brenda Nations, City of Iowa City
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Iowa City
Climate Action and Adaptation
Implementation Strategies
1
University of Iowa Students
❖Zhi Chen – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Michael Delp – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Olivia Felber – Civil and Environmental Engineering
❖Ursula Ferrier – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Harrison Freund – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Amina Grant– Civil and Environmental Engineering
❖Joshua Harris – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Nelson Loring – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Hannah Neel – Urban and Regional Planning
❖Melisa Ribikawskis – Urban and Regional Planning
University of Iowa Faculty
❖Lucie Laurian – Professor, Urban and Regional Planning
❖Scott Spak – Assistant Professor, Urban and Regional
Planning
City of Iowa City
❖Brenda Nations – Sustainability Coordinator
This document was prepared by the Environmental Policy and
Management Class at the University of Iowa School of Urban and
Regional Planning.
May 10, 2019
1
Contents
Contents ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan .............................................................................................................................. 6
Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability in Iowa City ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Social Vulnerability to Flooding Events at the City Level ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 11
The Motivation for this Analysis .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Designing the Index .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Application of the Index ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Social Vulnerability Index, Buildings, and Floodplain .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Iowa City Analysis..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Eastside Vulnerability ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Downtown Iowa City Flood Vulnerability ............................................................................................................................................................ 14
Southside and Airport Vulnerability Areas .......................................................................................................................................................... 15
Heat Events .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 16
Background Information .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Policy Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Recommended Framework for Climate Change Community Outreach and Engagement in Iowa City ...................................................................... 22
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 22
2
Climate Change Community Outreach and Engagement Experiences .................................................................................................................... 22
The City of Minneapolis ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
The City of Cleveland ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Recommended Framework...................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Extreme Weather Preparedness: Shelter .................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 26
Sheltering Network: Iowa City’s Daily Preparation for the Worst ........................................................................................................................... 26
Extremes- Heat and Cold ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Displacing the Threat and Reducing Stigmas ........................................................................................................................................................... 27
Building a Comprehensive Program......................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Defining the Need: An Exploration of Agency Needs-to-Know ............................................................................................................................... 28
Developing the Bigger Picture: Basic Infrastructure Locations and Spatial Needs .................................................................................................. 33
Developing the Bigger Picture: Consideration of Special Needs and Family Dynamics .......................................................................................... 35
Suggested Next Steps: Building a Shelter Component into the Implementation Plan ............................................................................................ 36
A Bit More About Communications ......................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Building and Energy Efficiency ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 39
Buildings’ Efficiencies: Issue and Goals .................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Current and Future Trends, Policy, and Issues ........................................................................................................................................................ 40
Spatial Equity ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Policies and Programs .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Residential ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41
Building Codes ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
3
Sustainable Lifestyles ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 43
Local Food Advocates: Food Policy Councils and Planners ...................................................................................................................................... 44
Local Goods Redistribution and Resale Systems ..................................................................................................................................................... 45
Recommended Solution: Local Foods and Goods Database ................................................................................................................................... 46
Vulnerability Analysis ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Future Research ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Recommendations: Local Foods Passport ............................................................................................................................................................... 50
Vehicle Miles Traveled and Electric Vehicles ............................................................................................................................................................... 51
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 51
Background .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
Current Conditions ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Key Barriers for Adoption of Electric Vehicles ......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Solutions to Overcome the Key Barriers .................................................................................................................................................................. 55
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 57
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Appendix: Approaches to Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability......................................................................................................................... 58
Academic Approach: Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) ........................................................................................................................................ 58
Municipal Approach: The City of Minneapolis Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment ................................................................................. 59
Comparing the Academic and Municipal Approaches ......................................................................................................................................... 60
Appendix: Iowa City Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Methodology ....................................................................................................... 61
Appendix: Climate Change Communication and Outreach and Engagement Resources ........................................................................................ 69
Appendix: Examples of Projects for Climate Action Fund ....................................................................................................................................... 72
4
References ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment............................................................................................................................................................... 73
Social Vulnerability to Flooding Events at the City Level ......................................................................................................................................... 76
Heat Events .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 77
Extreme Weather Preparedness: Shelter ................................................................................................................................................................ 78
Building and Energy Efficiency ................................................................................................................................................................................. 79
Sustainable Lifestyles ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 79
Vehicles Miles Traveled and Electric Vehicles ......................................................................................................................................................... 80
5
Executive Summary
The City of Iowa City is preparing to respond to the upcoming challenges that will be associated with climate change over the remainder of the
21st century. Iowa City is expected to experience a greater number of major precipitation events, as well as more frequent and severe flooding
and extreme temperature events. These impacts worsen with increasing Green House Gas emitted at the local, regional, national and global levels.
In 2018, Iowa City adopted its first Climate Action Mitigation and Adaptation Plan. The plan’s main goals are to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
by 30 percent in 2025 and 80 percent in 2050 compared to a 2005 baseline. In 2015, Iowa City achieved a 23 percent reduction compared to the
2005 baseline, largely because of changes in the utility provider’s energy portfolio and in the fuel mix used by the University of Iowa power plant.
Iowa City is striving to further increase the usage of renewable energy sources, and to reduce energy demand. This report will support Iowa City
as it seeks to achieve its 2025 and 2050 goals.
Brenda Nations, The City of Iowa City’s Sustainability Coordinator, approached the Environmental Policy and Management class at The University
of Iowa School of Urban and Regional Planning to develop an implementation plan focused on adaptation and equity. This document evaluates
vulnerability in Iowa City, and identifies actions the City can take to protect vulnerable populations and to enhance resiliency and adaptability. The
following areas are addressed in this document:
•Overall social vulnerability and equity regarding environmental hazards, extreme heat and cold events, and flood events
•Buildings and energy usage
•Electric vehicles and transportation systems
•Sustainable lifestyles
Each section introduces the topic area, presents specific analyses of the Iowa City context, and provides policy recommendations. Words
appearing in bold may have a more technical meaning and are defined in detail in the glossary.
6
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
•Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
Actions
•4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability in Iowa City
Based on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment conducted by
the City of Minneapolis, the following factors from the U.S. Census
2012-2016 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates were
used to perform a climate change vulnerability assessment for Iowa
City:
•Rent
o Median Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household
Income
•No Vehicle Access
o Housing Tenure by No Vehicles Available
•Limited English
o Household Language by Household Limited English-
Speaking Status
•Poverty
o Poverty Status of Individuals in the Past 12 Months
by Living Arrangement
•Race
o Race (Nonwhite)
•Young Children
o Sex by Age (Under 5)
•Older Population
o Sex by Age (Over 65)
•Disability
o Disability Status (From Ages 20 to 64)
•Air Conditioning
o Properties with Central Air Conditioning
o Obtained by the City of Iowa City Assessor
For a discussion on the different approaches to climate change
vulnerability assessments and the methodology used to conduct the
Iowa City climate change vulnerability assessment, please refer to the
Appendix.
The figure that follows depicts the census block groups in Iowa City
vulnerable to climate change. Specifically, there are three census
blocks groups that are the most vulnerable to climate change. The
neighborhoods in Iowa City that most closely correspond to those
census block groups are:
•Walnut Ridge
•Galway Hills
•Wetherby/Broadway
7
Climate change vulnerability by census block group in Iowa City.
Within the three neighborhoods, the following neighborhood
associations that most closely correspond are:
•Walnut Ridge
o Walnut Ridge
•Galway Hills
o Mormon Trek Village
•Wetherby/Broadway
o Broadway
o Pepperwood
o Wetherby
o South Pointe
Neighborhood associations of Iowa City.
Source: City of Iowa City
The following pages display maps of each of the nine climate change
vulnerability indicators in Iowa City.
8
The percentage of people with disability in each block group in Iowa City.
The percentage of elderly over 65 in each block group in Iowa City.
The percentage of children under 5 in each block group in Iowa City.
9
The percentage of properties without central air conditioning in each block
group in Iowa City.
The percentage of rent-burdened households in each block group in Iowa City.
The percentage of dwelling units without vehicle access in each block group in
Iowa City.
10
The percentage of non-white population in each block group in Iowa City.
The percentage of individuals in poverty in each block group in Iowa City.
The percentage of limited English-speaking households in each block group in
Iowa City.
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Social Vulnerability to Flooding Events at the City Level
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
Actions
• 4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
The Motivation for this Analysis
It has been more than a decade since the Flood of 2008 struck Iowa
City, but the memory still lingers. While every form of hazard and
natural disaster warrants special attention to ensure they cannot
cause too much damage, floods are unique, as they can last much
longer than others, shutting down local activities and limiting
residents’ mobility. In addition to that, as seen in the figure to the
right, Iowa City needs to be particularly well prepared for floods, as
they endanger large portions of the city. Flood events do not affect
all people equally, however. Some residents have resources (e.g.,
wealth, education) that increase their resilience to disasters.
Conversely, others are particularly susceptible to these events (e.g.,
low income, minority, elderly and isolated individuals). Thus, if Iowa
City is to be made more resilient, then the most vulnerable
communities should be identified and increasing their resiliency
should be a priority.
Social Vulnerability to flooding in Iowa City. Relative to the 100-&-500-Year
Floodplains.
For this reason, it is important that vulnerability is examined at many
different levels, so that those who need it may be identified, which is
reflected in the report’s structure. In the previous section, those who
are vulnerable to what will come as climate change progresses were
examined. This section discusses which places are vulnerable in the
present day, and the next section looks at the vulnerability within
these census blocks.
12
Designing the Index
One way to quantify vulnerability is to construct an index which
considers all the social variables which make individuals vulnerable
to hazards in the first place. Drawing on data from the Census
Bureau’s American Community Survey, such an index was designed.
It was based on a study of what made Cedar Rapids, Iowa vulnerable,
as no research for Iowa City itself could be found, and Cedar Rapids
is a reasonable analog of Iowa City for this purpose (Tate et. al., 2016).
As can be seen in the figure to the right, the index was split into three
“pillars” with varying degrees of importance, or “weights.” Variables
within the index were quantified with the geometric mean, which is
an attempt to account for how the variables interact with one
another. The pillars, however, were summed together merely based
on their weights. The index was then split into five classes and
mapped at the census block level.
Application of the Index
As seen in the figure on the previous page, vulnerability varies
dramatically throughout the city. Much of the floodplain affects
citizens living in census blocks which are ranked as marginal or less
vulnerable, which means that they contain either some
concentration of a few variables or a larger concentration of a smaller
number of variables. These less vulnerable blocks likely contain some
individuals who are more susceptible than those around them, and
the converse is true for more vulnerable blocks. The index is a useful
tool to guide efforts for new investments, and where to look for those
who need help during a flooding event, but all areas must receive
attention to ensure the best level of resistance.
The make-up of the social
vulnerability to flooding index.
13
Social Vulnerability Index, Buildings, and Floodplain
Methodology
This part of the analysis focuses on expanded the social
vulnerability and the flood vulnerability risk to buildings within
the floodplains. This is done by using ARCGIS, FEMA shapefiles,
Johnson County Building shapefiles, and the SVI index. All layers
are turned on within ARCMAP and the building layer is clipped
to include the features present in the SVI index. Then the
SVI/building layer is clipped to represent all the buildings and
their SVI index within the 500/100-year floodplains. This allows
for spatial representation of buildings with the most flood
vulnerability and the need inclusion in emergency
preparedness plains.
Iowa City Analysis
Eastside Vulnerability
Ralston Creek provides a majority of flood dangers. Longfellow
properties are including in the 500/100-year floodplain risks,
but higher income areas exist. Creekside neighborhood contain
marginal index vulnerability with properties in the floodplain.
Friendship St. and 1st avenue contain significant vulnerability in
properties within the floodplains. This is illustrated on the map
with the orange coloration within the blue.
First clip of building data to include SVI index data.
14
Downtown Iowa City Flood Vulnerability
A majority of the flood risk in downtown Iowa City comes from the
Iowa River and Ralston Creek floodplains. This analysis includes
commercial, University of Iowa buildings, and residential
properties. Some of the significant risk buildings along the Iowa
River are University buildings. Downtown buildings bordering
Ralston Creek are significant for flood risk because of lower
income student populations and proximity to 100- year and
500-year floodplains. Higher density development has occurred
in this area and greater impacts and relocations might need to
happen in extreme flooding events.
Building layer, FEMA Floodplain, SVI Index layers
15
Southside and Airport Vulnerability Areas
Some airport buildings are within the median vulnerability area
and 100- and 500-year floodplains. Significant flood
vulnerability exists bordering the Iowa River and south of
Highway 6. Significant low-income housing exists within the
median vulnerability locations and should be a priority for
emergency plans in flood situations.
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Heat Events
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
Actions
• 4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
• 4.3 Analyze Climate-Related Public Health Impacts in Iowa
City
As the climate of Iowa City changes over the course of the 21st
Century, several action steps are needed to ensure that residents can
respond appropriately to extreme heat and cold events. According to
the Iowa City Climate Action Plan, Iowa will have a winter climate like
Kansas and a summer climate like Mississippi by the end of century
given current trends. This mean that Iowa City will have to cope with
more extreme weather events. Heatwaves will be more common as
temperatures increase overall, placing vulnerable populations,
especially the elderly, at high risk. Additionally, although Iowa will
have a warmer overall climate and milder winters by the end of this
century, extreme cold events will be increasingly severe. These cold
periods, commonly known as Polar Vertices, arise out of the
weakened Jet Stream allowing frigid arctic to travel much further
south than historically precedented. These events place lower
income communities and the homeless population at high risk of
frostbite or even death.
Background Information
Following state law, residential units in Iowa City are required to “…
have heating facilities which are properly installed and are capable of
safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms and
toilet rooms located therein to a temperature of at least sixty eight
degrees Fahrenheit (68°) (20°C) and shall be capable of maintaining
in all said locations a minimum temperature of sixty five degrees
Fahrenheit (65°) (18°C) at a distance of three feet (3') above the floor
level at all times.” Enforcement of this law through the Building
Inspector ensures non-transient populations are not vulnerable to
extreme cold. Low income populations are protected from having
their heat shut off during the winter months due to a moratorium in
place that is done in coordination with the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Iowa Utility Board.
However, there is no such requirement in state law or local ordinance
regarding cooling units, such as air-conditioners. This could be
devastating to households that lack air-conditioning or are unable to
use it due to financial reasons. Having a central air conditioner in the
home is found to reduce the odds of dying in a heatwave by 49%.
Special attention needs to be given to elderly populations because
age-related processes reduce the body’s cooling efficiency.
17
Specifically, sweating and skin vasodilation (the widening of blood
vessels) are impaired. Heatwaves are known to deadliest for elderly
populations. Following a heatwave in 2003 that killed thousands,
researchers in France found that those who are socially isolated are
over 6 times more likely to die in a heatwave. Social isolation means
that an individual does not engage in any activity with others, be it
religious, cultural, leisurely, or social. Living alone does not
necessarily imply social isolation, however living with another person
who can respond to an emergency would reduce vulnerability to heat
related death.
Attention needs to also be given to impoverished populations.
Research focusing on New York found that there was a statistically
significant relationship between poverty and heat-mortality. This is
because areas high with poverty tend to have lower quality buildings,
less air-conditioning, and a more severe urban heat island effect.
There are several best-practices that have been adopted in other
cities. Following the 2003 Heatwave in France, the government
developed a database called Calex. The database has information
about populations identified as vulnerable or those wishing to opt-in.
During a heat-related emergency, a phone call is placed to residents
in the database with reminders to drink plenty of water, wear lighter-
weight clothing, and engage in other cooling behaviors that reduce
heat mortality. A similar program in Philadelphia, called Heatline,
works allows residents to call in to get information about cooling. The
city also a response unit to do welfare checks for vulnerable people
or in dire circumstances if needed.
Transient populations in Iowa City are known to congregate in the
downtown and near the Shelter House on the southern side of town.
These populations can be served by opening public buildings as
cooling locations. For example, this could mean reserving a room in
the Iowa City Public Library for residents to cool down on heatwave
days, even on public holidays. More details regarding shelters can be
found in its specific chapter in this plan. Finally, police officers,
whether responding to a call or on patrol should be able to identify
the difference between heat stress and heat stroke and respond
accordingly until medical services arrive.
Iowa City’s risk to extreme heat events was evaluated using satellite
images showing thermal radiation. This data was obtained through
the United States Geographic Service (USGS). USGS satellite images
provide 30 m resolution data of thermal radiation, which is used to
identify temperature variations within Iowa City, every 16 days. The
following images show a satellite view of Iowa City as well as the
Residents cooling off by the fountain in the Pedestrian Mall.
18
thermal images over the same area depicted on 18 May 2018. May
18th was selected because it was a clear day with a daytime high air
temperature of 97°F (36 °C).
Satellite image showing Iowa City
USGS Thermal Radiation Layer
The first satellite image of this section shows the area of the thermal
radiation map over Iowa City, where lighter shades of gray indicate
higher amounts of thermal radiation. Areas with more intense
development, the downtown and South/Southeast Iowa City, have
greater thermal radiation and vulnerability. The Iowa River, provides
a cooling effect, shown by its dark line. The next two figures zoom in
to the area of interest previously identified. The figure to the on the
next page shows areas with lower thermal radiation in green and
areas of higher thermal radiation in shades of browns and reds. This
confirms that the downtown area has higher thermal radiation.
Additionally, the urban heat island effect is observed to be intense
19
near the Iowa City Municipal Airport, University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinic, The University of Iowa, and the Downtown District.
Closeup Satellite of Iowa City Downtown
USGS Thermal Radiation image of Iowa City
The population in the downtown and The University of Iowa area is
at a generally lower risk of heat-related illness or death than
expected given the extent of the urban heat island effect because the
residential population in this area is composed largely of students,
who are younger and have social-networks of roommates, friends,
and access to University of Iowa resources. During the day, when
temperatures peak, students, workers, residents and homeless who
are downtown have access to cooled public buildings, and to other
people who could aid them in the event of an emergency.
20
The map to the right was created using GIS and creating a
vulnerability score considering air conditioning, age demographics,
and poverty statistics. These variables were assigned equal weight for
the model, however given that most deaths were in the elderly and
those who lacked air conditioning, more focus should be placed on
those factors. With that consideration, it is recommended that there
be an emphasis on the Morningside and Glendale neighborhoods
given the high concentration of elderly persons. This area is
composed largely of single-family residential homes, meaning the
likelihood of somebody living alone and possibly being social is higher
in this area. Using poverty as a proxy, it has been determined that
the Riverside area on the West Bank of the Iowa River north of
Highway 6 has a higher concentration of employment in these sectors
and relatively few air conditioners. To its south is the airport, which
has a high number of buildings without air-conditioning.
Heat Vulnerability Map of Iowa City.
Policy Recommendations
Based on the review of city specific data and practices incorporated
in other areas, the following actions are recommended:
• Develop a robust warning system based on National Weather
Service categories to inform and to respond to extreme heat
and cold events.
Etreme Temperature Charts
21
• Engage the community using the neighborhood climate
action ambassador program described in detail in the next
chapter of the document.
• When temperature and humidity conditions fall into the
extreme caution category, publish cooling information tips
on electronic screens in public buildings and on the
homepage of the city website. Do the same when condition
would cause frostbite to set in within 10 minutes for
information about staying warm.
• When temperatures fall into the danger category, open a city
hotline that residents can call and directly receive
information and help. Additionally, have city staff call
residents participating in a program to verify they are
receiving cooling information. During heatwaves, this should
be done every other day.
• Train police officers to identify the difference between
different temperature related conditions, such as heat stress,
heat stroke, frostbite, and hypothermia. Equip police officers
with appropriate resources to respond accordingly, such as
electrolyte beverages, cool packs, and blankets until medical
services arrive.
• Since air conditioning units are found to reduce heat related
mortality, consider a capital improvement project to
subsidize central air conditioning. This may increase green
house gas emissions.
• Additional items for the City to consider addressing this issue
is to increase the amount of shade provided by trees. Trees
provide effective defense against the urban heat island effect
because they block the sun, and they release water into the
air, which absorbs heat.
• Reducing the amount of impervious surface allows for a
greater amount of water to filtrate into the ground. This
provides a cooling reservoir and reduces the Urban Heat
Island effect.
22
Recommended Framework for Climate Change Community Outreach and
Engagement in Iowa City
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
Actions
• 4.2 Develop Communications and Outreach Plan for
Vulnerable Populations
Climate Change Community Outreach and Engagement
Experiences
The City of Minneapolis
The City of Minneapolis conducted a Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment to identify areas most vulnerable to climate change (City
of Minneapolis, 2018). The City, partnering with six local community
organizations or two per neighborhood, targeted the three most
vulnerable communities (Longfellow, Near North, and Phillips) for
community outreach and engagement, such as public discussions
about the effects of climate change (heat and cold events, flooding,
freeze-thaw cycles and their impacts on housing and infrastructure
as well as air pollution and pollen levels) (City of Minneapolis, 2018).
These community engagement events were later evaluated and
summarized to guide staff recommendations on neighborhood
climate resiliency for policy makers (City of Minneapolis, 2018). The
City of Minneapolis then provided grant funding to community
partners for their own projects. Examples of such projects include: “A
Very Snow Day” event to plan for emergencies and weather events,
“Prepared Parents” which is a monthly gathering of parents for
preparedness, and a workshop that included discussions and
emergency kits preparation (City of Minneapolis, 2018). The
evaluation of the public meetings held in the three Minneapolis
neighborhoods noted that providing stipends or gift cards
contributed to attracting a diversity of participants, and the presence
of interpreters at the meetings facilitated inclusive engagement
(Phadke & Manning, 2017).
The City of Cleveland
As part of its “Cleveland Climate Action Plan”, the City of Cleveland
aims to engage citizens as Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors who
will lead neighborhoods in preparing for the impacts of climate
change, such as reducing flood risk and heat mortality and
responding to rising utility costs and energy shortages (Cleveland
Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office of
Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at
Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015). Cleveland Neighborhood
Progress, a regional community development organization, brought
together four community development corporations to recruit eight
residents ”climate ambassadors” (four are neighborhood based and
four are at-large) (Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of
Cleveland, Mayor's Office of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design
Collaborative; University at Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015). The
city focused on four target neighborhoods (Slavic Village, Central-
Kinsman, Glenville, and Detroit-Shoreway). The climate ambassadors
received climate science and mitigation and adaptation training, and
then assisted in recruiting community participants for workshops to
identify and prioritize neighborhood climate resiliency projects,
23
programs, policies, and research needs in each neighborhood
(Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office
of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at
Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015). The Climate Ambassadors were
also provided with the “Neighborhood Climate Action Toolkit”
funded by the World Wildlife Fund, the George Gund Foundation, the
City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Climate Action
Advisory Committee (Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of
Cleveland, Mayor's Office of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design
Collaborative; University at Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015). The
Toolkit provides a guide for community members and organizations
to actualize actions and solutions by following four steps (City of
Cleveland):
1. Learn about the Climate Action Plan
• “Climate Action and Cleveland: Building a Green City
on a Blue Lake” presentation
• Climate Action Video
o A 16-minute video on how Cleveland citizens
are addressing climate change
• Guide to a Climate Friendly Diet
2. Identify neighborhood assets and concerns and Relate them
to Climate Action
• Climate Action Collages
o Photographs of examples of climate action
across Cleveland
• “I am Sustainable Cleveland Posters”
• Neighborhood Carbon Footprint Calculator
o An Excel document to calculate the amount
of greenhouse gas emissions created by a
neighborhood
• Neighborhood Climate Action Case Studies
3. Develop a Neighborhood Climate Action Idea
• Workshop Facilitators Guide
o A guide for how to conduct a two-hour
workshop on developing a neighborhood
climate action project
• Neighborhood Carbon Reduction Calculator
o An Excel document to calculate reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions from
neighborhood climate actions
4. Develop a Neighborhood Climate Action Project Proposal
• Proposal Development Template
• Cleveland Climate Action Fund
Over the course of five months, climate action workshops were held
in six Cleveland neighborhoods and in 2015 alone, thirteen
neighborhood projects were awarded grants over two grant cycles
(Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office
of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at
Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015).
Recommended Framework
We recommend that Iowa City combine the approaches and
strategies of Minneapolis and Cleveland for its climate change
community outreach and engagement. The purpose of the climate
change community outreach and engagement campaign is to
establish a grassroots-based framework to catalyst citizen action for
climate change adaptation and mitigation through project funding
from Iowa City’s existing funding sources, primarily through the
Community Climate Action Grant and the Program for Improving
Neighborhoods Grant. The campaign should be ongoing and
continuous, first targeting specific neighborhoods that are the most
vulnerability to climate change, then embarking on other vulnerable
neighborhoods, and returning to the most vulnerable neighborhoods
to repeat the iterative cycle. A cohort of neighborhoods approach
may also be a possibility, such as three neighborhoods per fiscal year
and another three neighborhoods the next fiscal year.
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The Iowa City Climate Change Community Outreach and Engagement
framework should consist of three core stakeholders:
1. Neighborhood Climate Partners
o Community organizations within a neighborhood or
in Iowa City at-large with an interest in advancing
climate action adaptation and mitigation. The
Minneapolis experience indicates that a target of
two community organizations per neighborhood is
preferred. One example is the Iowa City Climate
Advocates. Another could be faith-based
organizations, which are already working on shelters
during extreme weather events.
2. Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors
o Passionate and engaged residents excited to pursue
climate action adaptation and mitigation within their
neighborhood and community. If none are available,
existing contact persons for Neighborhood
Associations in Iowa City can be designated. A
minimum of one Ambassador per neighborhood is
recommended. Preferably, Neighborhood Climate
Ambassadors should reside within the neighborhood
they represent but at-large Ambassadors may also
be considered. This role should not be too difficult to
fill given the amount of activism wi
3. City-wide Climate Coordinator
o A representative from the City of Iowa City who will
serve as the City-wide Climate Coordinator in
community outreach and engagement with the
Neighborhood Climate Partners and the
Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors. The City of
Iowa City Sustainability Coordinator can assume this
role for convenience, or another coordinator can be
designated.
The role of the City-wide Climate Coordinator should first be
determined among the three stakeholder roles. Afterwards, the
Coordinator would contact community organizations for partnership
in the most vulnerable neighborhoods to climate change as identified
by the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. Following the
Minneapolis experience, two or more community organizations per
vulnerable neighborhood should be identified and invited to serve as
the Neighborhood Climate Partners.
With the City-wide Climate Coordinator and the Neighborhood
Climate Partners assigned, the two groups should first be trained on
climate change and how to communicate climate change with
community members, especially vulnerable populations, and then
collaborate to host a variety of community outreach and engagement
events and activities starting with the neighborhoods which are the
most vulnerable to climate change. These events and activities
should aim to reveal the vulnerabilities to climate change within each
neighborhood, present neighborhood and individual climate change
adaptation and mitigation strategies, and identify and enlist active
citizens who can serve as the Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors.
For a listing of suggested training materials for the Neighborhood
Iowa City
Climate Change
Community
Outreach and
Engagement
Neighborhoo
d Climate
Ambassadors
City-wide
Climate
Coordinator
Neighborhoo
d Climate
Partners
25
Climate Partners, Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors, and the City-
Wide Climate Coordinator and possible event and activity resources
for them to implement, please refer to the Appendix.
After the Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors have been recruited,
along with the designation of Neighborhood Climate Partners and the
City-wide Climate Coordinator, the three groups of stakeholders
should collaborate to conduct more targeted climate change
community outreach and engagement sessions within vulnerable
neighborhoods to envision climate change adaptation and mitigation
projects that could be actualized and then draft proposals for project
funding from Iowa City’s Community Climate Action Grant and the
Program for Improving Neighborhoods Grant. For a listing of
examples of neighborhood resiliency projects, please refer to the
Appendix. Project implementation will be led by the Neighborhood
Climate Ambassador and technically supported by the Neighborhood
Climate Partners and the City-wide Climate Coordinator and
financially supported by the project funding from the City of Iowa City.
A stipend for the Neighborhood Climate Ambassador should be
provided contingent on successful project funding by the City of Iowa
City.
Promotion and advertisement of the Neighborhood Climate
Ambassador, various climate change community outreach and
engagement events and activities, as well as the funded and
completed climate change adaptation and mitigation projects should
be managed by the Neighborhood Climate Partners and the City of
Iowa City. The City of Austin and the City of Cleveland have
experiences with promotional and advertisement campaigns that the
City of Iowa City may reference. The City of Austin, Texas currently
runs the “Net Zero Heroes” campaign of preparing monthly articles
of community members who took actions against climate change and
distributes the content through social media and other digital
platforms (City of Austin). Additionally, the City of Cleveland operates
a similar campaign of posters of residents taking actions against
climate change through its “I am Sustainable Cleveland” posters (City
of Cleveland). Additionally, the City of Iowa City may collaborated
with the Marketing Institute at the University of Iowa Tippie College
of Business for targeted campaigns and to measure effectivenss.
Left: An example of a “Net-Zero Hero” blog image from the City of Austin.
Right: An example of a “I am Sustainable Cleveland” poster from the (City
of Cleveland).
1. Vulnerable
Neighborhood
Selection
2. Initial Community
Outreach and
Engagement
3. Climate Action
Project Outreach and
Engagement
4. Climate Action
Grant Preparation and
Application
5. Climate Action
Grant Project
Implementation
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Extreme Weather Preparedness: Shelter
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Assess and plan for climate-related health impacts
Actions
• 4.4 Coordinate Extreme Weather Preparedness Planning
with Local Agencies
Sheltering Network: Iowa City’s Daily Preparation for the
Worst
Disaster and emergency preparedness is a universal concern for
communities around the world. As the effects of climate change alter
weather patterns and intensify storms, it is imperative that our
emergency facilities, both government and privately owned, be
organized, easily recognized, and ready at a moment’s notice.
Knowledge of where to go and what to expect in shelter settings
needs to be woven into the threads of all emergency plans. Weather
safety education and timely notification will be the most important
factors for saving lives in extreme weather conditions and will be
most effective when accompanied by eliminating an individual’s
reservations about seeking shelter in the event of an emergency.
The decision to seek shelter may be a varied response among
different populations of a society. Lack of understanding about the
weather or climate in the region, significant communication barriers,
or unwillingness to part from the responsibility of a pet are among
the reasons a person might not seek shelter and thereby reduce their
chances of surviving an extreme weather event. It should be the
collective effort of community members and local government to
eliminate as many obstacles as possible and to provide a shelter
system that is free from stigma and misconceptions.
Extremes- Heat and Cold
According to NOAA, heat accounted for the majority of weather-
related deaths across the United States in 2018. In an interview with
KCRG News, Angelica Vannatta, the Development Director of the
Iowa City Shelter House commented that “heat is actually the
number on weather-related cause of death in the United States,
things like heat exhaustion and heat stroke can cause death. I think
our body is more tuned to the frigid weather and we can kind of feel
that more so than when we’re getting bogged down by the heat.” Yet
even with widespread acknowledgement of this serious issue, people
may not pay attention to symptoms until they are beginning to suffer
from them. Finding immediate relief from the heat is vital at that
point. Teaching residents to understand how the body cools itself and
the effects of humidity on this process may be an uphill battle, but
providing clearly marked, open, and easily accessible cooling
locations doesn’t have to be.
The average human body temperature is 98.6°F and it is considered
to be in a state of hypothermia at 95°F. Just a few degrees lower and
amnesia can set in leaving a person to wonder aimlessly until they
lose consciousness at 82°F. This can take as little as 10 minutes. Being
aware of the location of “warming-shelters” may be the difference
between life and death for those of vulnerable populations such as
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the homeless, the elderly, and children. Being able to stop frequently
in a warm location to allow the body temperature to return to normal
could save a person’s life. In extreme heat, temperatures often cool
below the danger point in the evenings, but because temperatures
can stay extremely cold for long periods of time, it is vital that
residents be aware of locations where they are welcomed to warm
up both day and night.
Displacing the Threat and Reducing Stigmas
Iowa City is home, temporarily and permanently, to people from all
across the world. Some from extremely frigid regions and others from
arid regions. These people may be at especially high risk to suffer the
effects of the increasing Midwest temperature extremes.
Additionally, with statistically less education and proper job training
skills, these individuals will work in positions that will expose them to
the elements more readily than established residents of the area.
Establishing proper dress and care protocol will be essential to
survival along with education and self-care training. This can be
accomplished in a variety of ways but needs to start with explaining
that a “cooling/warming-shelter” is simply a public facility which is air
conditioned or heated. The word “shelter” has certain connotations
attached to it which may deter some people from using them.
Through city-wide ad campaigns, local businesses and government
could get the word out of locations, days and times of availability of
such locations in a manner that is inviting and inclusive to promote
usage and displace fears.
Building a Comprehensive Program
The Johnson County Emergency Management homepage links to
several informative websites, such as Wunderground, and to
educational documents, such as the Child Care Weather Watch which
includes color-coded safety tips for children at play as well as basic
definitions of common, storm-related terms. Perhaps the most
beneficial aspect of this site is the Emergency Preparedness
Information page. In this one location, a resident can find instruction
on how to maneuver a vehicle in different types of weather, links to
storm preparation, and guides on what to do in every stage of a flood.
Yet, with all of this information at the click of a button, our grade with
Iowa City experiences 7 of the 9 weather events tracked by NOAA for fatality
rates, yet we only have 1 dedicated shelter for Cold events, none for Heat and no
coordinated disaster shelter plan in place for Floods or Tornados that render
residents homeless.
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the States at Risk: America’s Preparedness Report Card is only a ‘C+.’
We can do better.
Clearly there is evidence that the idea of resilience and adaptation to
extreme weather is an understood and meaningful goal for our
region. Tools provided through Johnson County’s Emergency
Program are well rounded, but improvements and updates are visibly
needed. Broken hyperlinks, outdated information, and pixelated
images are a threat to the program’s credibility. Additionally, all
material and links are readable only in English, very little of the
information is Iowa City specific, and the website-based structure
alienates those who do not have access to or are not computer savvy,
and the illiterate. These three facts within themselves will exclude a
considerable portion of our vulnerable communities in Iowa City. We
need to take the Johnson County base work, zero in on specifics, and
expand its reach to all residents and visitors. This should be carefully
carried out one task at time.
A meticulously laid out implementation strategy for the Iowa City
Climate Action Plan is vital to saving precious time, money and sanity.
Randomly added information, lack of plan follow-through, and
disorganization of efforts will render any strategy confusing,
untrustworthy, and therefore, unusable. We must also acknowledge
that this will be a “living” plan. As the city grows, businesses open and
close, people come and go, all implementation tools will require
frequent revisiting to ensure updates to points such as identified
locations, inclusion of languages, and above all, protocol changes.
This is especially important for those of our community who fall
within the definition of ‘vulnerable.’ If we focus our implementation
strategies to cater to the least abled of our society, it will ensure that
the plan is adequate for all.
Many implementation aspects of the action plan are currently
underway, including development of a more robust and inclusive
notification system, but arguably, the most pressing work needs to
be done for section 4.4, Coordinate Extreme Weather Preparedness
Planning with Local Agencies. This work will have the most immediate
and longest lasting effects for Iowa City’s residents and emergency
responder system as well as ingraining a sense of security for
everyone.
Defining the Need: An Exploration of Agency Needs-to-
Know
In developing the implementation plan, we need to sort out and
define natural events which could be triggered by extremes in
This infographic is a stark reminder that we still have a
long way to go in a very short period of time.
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weather in our specific region and the various levels of effect they
could have on our residents. The following is a starting point for this
organizing effort:
Extreme heat
126°F with heat index (92°F with 85% humidity) and over
• Individuals do not have effective means of cooling the home
or their enclosure down to a safe temperature
Extreme cold
Between -32°F (0°F with 55mph winds) and -63°F (-45°F with 5mph
winds)
• Individual does not have effective means of warming the
home or their enclosure up to a safe temperature
Flood
Flood forecast triggers mandatory evacuation of the home
• Surrounding area may or may not actually flood
Accessibility to home completely eliminated but will be inhabitable
immediately after event
• Flooding occurs but does not penetrate home and all utilities
are restored at time of reentry
Home is either temporarily or permanently uninhabitable due to
flood water inundation
• Flood waters cause unsafe health conditions within the home,
condemn the structure completely, or utilities will not be
restored for a period of time after the flood event
Tornado/Severe storm
Weather conditions so extreme that staying in place poses a risk to
personal safety
• Tornado or high winds are in immediate vicinity but are not
over the property and traveling to a shelter would not put
the individual in additional danger of personal injury
Home is either temporarily or permanently uninhabitable due to
wind damage
• Tornado or high winds have swept through and:
• Damage has been done to home that will require repairs
before individuals can safely return;
• Damage has been done to the power lines or other utilities
requiring residents to stay away from the area for a specified
amount of time;
• The home has been rendered unsafe and or entirely
destroyed)
Prolonged power outage
• Brownouts or blackouts that leave a home without the ability
to be cooled or warmed through the use of electricity for a
prolonged period of time (multiple days) during extreme
weather events
These events should be met with a plan that is well-rounded and
takes into consideration all residents of Iowa City. It needs to
specifically address the topic of shelters and should identify the
populations and circumstances that may lead to a community’s
dependence on shelter services. In addition to the weather events
30
mentioned above, the following are the top three reasons and
descriptions of why effective sheltering is necessary in our region:
Homelessness
Loss of housing
• homeowner loses home (may or may not be of their doing)
• renter is evicted (may or may not be of their doing)
Loss of guardianship
• Loss of foster care (17 years and younger or is a dependent)
• Runaway (17 years and younger or is a dependent)
• Sudden loss of parents (17 years and younger or is a
dependent)
Abuse
Verbal and/or Psychological= individual needs to escape from an
abusive situation that has not manifested physically (individual may
require immediate counseling services and a safe place to sleep is
imperative)
Physical= individual needs to escape from an abusive situation that
has manifested in physical harm (individual may require immediate
medical attention and/or counseling services and a safe place to
sleep is imperative)
Mental Illness
• Mild= individual has a social disorder or is unable to control
emotions to successfully secure/retain housing
• Moderate= individual has temperament issues or noticeable
mental deficits and is unable to successfully secure/retain
housing
• Severe= individual appears to be out of control of cognitive
functions and is unable to successfully secure/retain housing
In Iowa City, shelters may reasonably need to be provided for those
who fall into the following demographics and specifications:
Scale (number of people requiring shelter after/during an event)
• 1-5 humans
• 6-100 humans
• 101-500 humans
• 501-1000 humans
Length of Stay (number of hours and/or days shelter is required
after/during an event)
For the duration of the event
Meal times
Overnight
• ½ - 4 days
• 5 – 10 days
• 11 – 14 days
• 15+ days
Living arrangements
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• Homeless
• Renter
• Homeowner
Gender identity
• Male
• Female
• Transgender (if a person identifies/wants to be recognized as
one gender when physically they are the other)
Age
• child= 0-15 (typically does not drive and depends on an adult
for all or the majority of their care)
• young adult= 16-20 (typically is able to drive, cannot yet drink
alcohol, may smoke, and may or may not depend on an adult
for some of their care)
• adult= 21-65 (typically able to drive, can consume alcohol,
may or may not be dependent on another adult for some of
their care)
• senior= 66+ (typically able to drive, can consume alcohol,
may or may not be dependent on another adult for some of
their care)
Family dynamics
• individual person
• individual person with 1-3 dependents
• individual with 4-10 dependents
• partners (married or unmarried)
• partners with 1-3 dependents
• partners with 4-10 dependents
Pet owners
• caged animals= rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.
• exotic animals= birds, lizards, snakes, etc.
• traditional animals= cats and/or dogs
• non-traditional animals= designer pigs, chickens, goats, etc.
Substance users (assessment made at time of shelter entry)
• sober/clean= individual states that they do not ever use or
rarely uses alcohol/drugs/recreational medication (presents
as of competent mind)
• functioning user= individual states that they use
alcohol/drugs/recreational medication on a regular basis
with the ability to go without for the length of shelter stay
(presents as ‘tipsy,’ high, or disoriented)
• addict= individual states that they use
alcohol/drugs/recreational medication on a regular basis
with the inability to go without for the length of shelter stay
(presents as intoxicated or incredibly high
• dependent user= individual uses alcohol/drugs/recreational
medication daily and is not able to adequately address
personal needs and is not considered a functioning member
32
of society for that reason (presents as belligerent and not in
control of their faculties)
Physical ability (assessment made at time of shelter entry)
•able bodied= individual appears not to require special
accommodations for basic mobility needs
•impaired= individual presents as having some minor physical
requirements (cannot stand unassisted from kneeling
position, unable to walk a flight of stairs, etc.) but does not
seem to require assistive devices such as canes or walkers
•assistive impaired= individual appears to be able to get
around on their own with some help from a cane, walker,
walking pole, etc. but does not seem require assistance from
care personnel
•assistive dependent= individual appears unable to get
around on their own without the use of scooter, wheelchair,
walker, etc., and is seems that they may require some
assistance from care personnel
•dependent= individual is clearly unable to get around on
their own and requires a care personnel (would be
accompanied by a care professional at the time of entry)
Mental ability (assessment made at time of shelter entry)
•Unchallenged= individual appears to have full mental
capacities and does not present as requiring assistance with
basic functioning needs
•Mildly and/or socially challenged= individual appears to
have some limits to basic cognitive function or seems to not
pick up on social cues
•Severely challenged= individual appears to have noticeable
limits to basic cognitive function or seems to be unable to
make clear and safe decisions for themselves
•Incapacitated= individual is clearly unable to make clear and
safe decisions for themselves or presents as having no grasp
on where they are or what is happening
Language usage
•Native speaker= born and raised in the US or another country
where English is their first language
•Non-native speaker
•Fluent= born in a country where English is not the first
language, but the individual can speak English with complete
accuracy and comprehension
•Broken= born in a country where English is not the first
language and the individual can only speak some English with
several mistakes and does not appear to have a full
comprehension of the English language
•No English= born in a country where English is not the first
language and the individual cannot speak any English (maybe
outside of hello, yes or no)
Cultural stigma
•Compliant= individual does not have any reservations or
cultural stigmas that will dictate their use of the shelter
•Questioning= individual has reservations about using a
shelter (this may or may not be related to cultural stigmas)
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• Non-compliant= individual is not happy with and is reluctant
to be in the shelter
To summarize, Iowa City needs a fully comprehensive sheltering
system to effectively and efficiently handle any and all extreme
weather events caused by climate change in the years to come.
Because sheltering for prospective extreme weather conditions is
sparse and sporadic yet the city is routinely in need of sheltering for
members of vulnerable populations, it is our economic and social
responsibility to create infrastructure that serves these individuals on
a daily basis while simultaneously reserving shelter sources that will
be at the ready in the face of climate change effects.
But one size will not fit all. Although Iowa City is a fairly small city, it
cannot depend on a single, stadium sized arena in which all
demographics are left to fend for themselves. This needs to be a
network of interconnected support systems equipped to provide
base-line sheltering needs and referral services to a wide variety of
individuals in the throes of an even more varied set of circumstances.
Therefore, we need to refer back to the previously mentioned events
and situations that require sheltering services to define our spatial,
service, and personnel needs.
Developing the Bigger Picture: Basic Infrastructure
Locations and Spatial Needs
Scale of need and length of stay are both factors that can help
determine what size of facility is needed to accommodate the
targeted population. Whether or not a particular location can safely
and comfortably shelter single individuals or entire families, including
residents with pets, will depend on its size. Because Iowa City is
looking toward a future of reducing urban sprawl and to be able to
provide easy access to shelter facilities, these locations need to be
dispersed throughout the city while limiting the need for new
construction. The spectrum of need, as defined in the previous
section, may consider the following locations as potential locations
for shelter services:
• Private, non-profit community meeting spaces or businesses
• Private businesses (retail stores, grocers, hotels, mobile
home courts, etc.)
• Private religious institutions
• Public libraries and recreation centers
• Public schools
• City and County-owned buildings
• City and County-owned stand-alone structures
• Hospitals and medical clinics
• Sports arenas
Because these efforts are community-centered and welfare-
providing, the assumption that private entities should be held
responsible to provide assistance should be avoided where possible.
Steps can be taken to provide a structured set of guidelines to help
in the organization of such a system, but the onus of that particular
portion of the implementation plan has to lie with the private
institutions themselves. Having that said, private sector allies are
vitally necessary in developing an implementation strategy that will
work. The Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council (IDHRC) is a
collaborative effort between “faith-based, voluntary and
government organization active in disaster services to foster a more
effective response and recovery for the people of Iowa.” Combining
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the efforts of groups such as Citizen Corps and Iowa’s Voluntary
Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), this council is a beacon of
inspiration for private sector disaster recovery efforts. Based out of
Johnston, Iowa, it is a state-wide effort where Iowa City could be
more effectively served by a locally sourced group. Private homes,
businesses and places of worship will vary in size and could be
targeted as viable options for a wide range of needs. Available help
for 1 person, as in a private home or business or as many as 500, as
in larger places of worship and clubhouses, allows private partners to
be dispersed throughout the implementation plan.
Likewise, public schools, libraries, recreation centers, and city and/or
county-owned facilities will have a wide range of usable space. These
locations will require a bit more coordination than other categories
in that their providing sheltering services may be appropriate in some
conditions and not others. Steps will need to be taken to ensure that
the public is fully aware of their rights and responsibilities within
these locations. For example, although a school may be opened in
the event of a large flood and displacement of hundreds of families,
their doors are otherwise locked to ensure the safety of the children.
Also, they may open their gymnasiums to the homeless in extreme
temperature or weather conditions during the weekend, but it would
not be appropriate for transients to simply walk in during school
hours to cool or warm themselves. Therefore, although these
locations may be larger in size, their sheltering capabilities may be
limited for the majority of situations.
Hospitals and medical clinics should only be utilized by those who
need or are seeking acute or even chronic medical care. If a resident,
whether vulnerable or otherwise, is suffering from an injury, medical
condition or appears to be unresponsive, calling 9-1-1 and getting the
individual immediate medical care is a better option than simply
providing them a location to rest. Both Mercy Hospital of Iowa City
and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will accept walk-ins
and referrals for medical attention during extreme weather, disaster,
and temperature events. Once there, the individual will be assigned
to an Emergency Room social worker where their non-medical
related needs can be addressed. The university’s Crisis Stabilization
Unit (CSU) can provide much needed physical and psychological
assistance to victims suffering from the effects of extreme weather.
This includes, at minimum, a reclining chair for a 72 hour stay for
individuals who do not require psychiatric assistance, but these are
limited.[8] It should be noted that good Samaritans, unless trained as
emergency responders, should not attempt to force an individual
into this type of facility. Calling 9-1-1 if you are truly concerned for
someone’s health is the best course of action.
The largest options that the city of Iowa City will have in the event of
an extreme weather event would be the Kinnick Stadium, Carver
Hawkeye Arena, Field House, and the Hawkeye Tennis and
Recreation Complex. These can provide space for shelter for 500 +
individuals. Kinnick Stadium, because it is uncovered, would be a last
resort whereas all other venues could easily provide shelter, heat and
cooling if a weather event renders hundreds of residents homeless.
Conversely, the smallest units of shelter within Iowa City can be
found in bus huts and entrance ways to public buildings. In severe
weather, these structures should not be considered shelter; however,
they can serve as windbreakers when a person is traveling to an
adequate shelter location. The city does not currently have ‘bus-hut’
types warming or cooling stations, but this idea has been suggested
as an option for the city several times.
35
Developing the Bigger Picture: Consideration of Special
Needs and Family Dynamics
When extreme weather conditions force a resident to take shelter in
any place other than the comfort of their own home, it puts an
incredible amount of stress on that individual. When developing
shelter settings, taking the individual’s specific needs into
consideration can be paramount in making the situation as calm and
manageable as possible for everyone. Therefore, Iowa City needs to
provide a variety of shelter locations with accommodations for a
wide range of needs and family dynamics. An argument can be made
that during an extreme weather event or natural disaster, the
primary focus should simply be a warm, cool, or dry place to rest. And
understandably, these should be the bare minimum of what is
provided. But in any traumatic situation, a single element of added
comfort or familiarity can significantly alter the experience for both
the person suffering and the individuals running the shelters and
programs. A research study conducted in New Your City “indicated
that poor mental health was correlated with difficulty following rules
and a less favorable perception of the shelter's social environment.”
“In addition, length of time in the shelter was positively correlated
with poor mental health…” “The findings from this study support the
notion that perception of the social environment of the shelter can
affect mental health.
Therefore, when creating any shelter program, care should be taken
to understand and support different family structures and dynamics.
This includes keeping pet owners with their pets. Not all shelters
need to accept pets but an option of at least one would be very
beneficial in alleviating family concerns when seeking a shelter
location. In a Best Practices manual created by FEMA, reports have
shown that many times “if there is no opportunity to bring their pets
with them to safety, some pet owners will refuse to evacuate or will
delay evacuation.” And the situation is the same for those evacuating
from homes and homeless pet parents. An report from Riverside,
California interviewed a homeless woman who “became homeless
during the five years she’s had Roger [a chihuahua/terrier mix], and
she sometimes has opted to stay on the streets instead of going to a
shelter where dogs aren’t allowed.” Iowa City is an exemplar in that
we have Cooper’s House through the Domestic Violence Intervention
Program. This allows abuse victims to bring their pets with them into
the shelter to incentivize them to leave their abusive situations. We
are also fortunate to have an animal shelter in Iowa City that has a
disaster strategy in place. In the event of extreme weather events or
natural disasters, the shelter is able to shelter a pet for up to 10 days.
They provide a Humane Society pamphlet on Disaster Preparedness
for Pets and will work with pet parents to provide for their animals.
But this takes a toll on the personnel, resources, and supplies of the
already near-capacity shelter. A better option would be to provide a
location where families can stay together through their trauma no
matter how many legs they have.
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Keeping families together is important in times of hardship but so is
the ability of an individual to maintain as much of their independence
as possible. For residents with severe mental or physical handicaps,
specialized care facilities such as rehabilitation centers and hospitals
and clinics are better suited for their needs. But what about those
who are self-sufficient but still require ADA compatible provisions?
This can be simply integrated into setting up the shelter by adhering
to ADA compatibility rules and regulations. A key piece to this puzzle
will be the communication and transport systems that will need to be
fully vetted in the implementation plan. Making sure that people with
disabilities are aware of the weather threat and that they are able to
get to and access a safe location is the first step in effectively
managing their shelter needs.
Finally, no discussion of shelters, whether emergency or homeless,
would be complete without addressing those individuals who are
under the influence of alcohol or drugs and people who are on the
sex offender registry. It is imperative that these people be viewed
through an equity lens and addressed with compassion. Many times,
substance abuse is a physical manifestation of an internal trauma and
can be exacerbated by a stressful situation. Iowa City’s Shelter House
accepts those who are under the influence but does not allow drugs
or alcohol into their facility. Currently, the city is constructing the
JoCo Behavioral Health Access Center which will provide an
alternative to being taken into custody for those with public
substance abuse issues. This location could also be utilized for
relocating these individuals who need access to shelter but are
turned away because of their current state. This will likely need to be
carried out through law enforcement intervention.
Suggested Next Steps: Building a Shelter Component into
the Implementation Plan
Considering these locations will need to vary in size, barriers to entry,
and location, it would not be fiscally responsible to build several new
shelters from the ground up. Rather, this should be a process of
integrating daily with perspective emergency needs to utilize space,
money, and resources efficiently. Best practice for any storm or
extreme weather sheltering program will be to utilize the shelter
network that Iowa City already has in place. Using and expanding the
metrics provided for evaluating types of shelters and reasons for
necessity, the city can simultaneously develop its emergency
notification system so that locations, days and times of accessibility
can be pushed out to all identified demographics. Each step in
developing our shelter network needs to answer the questions:
• Who is the targeted demographic?
• What location(s) will best serve our population?
There are few pet-friendly home shelters in the United States. There are none in
Iowa and many surrounding states.
A woman with her dog.
37
• What are the possible issues that can arise at this location?
How can we solve them?
• How does this shelter fit into the larger network and how
does it most effectively communicate with other shelters and
their needs?
• When considering the demographic(s) served, what is the
best approach to advertising for/educating about/inviting
into?
• What are our structural, personnel, and funding needs? How
do meet all these needs?
Acknowledging, working alongside, and supporting private sector
participation in developing this network should be a priority.
Developing a shelter plan that includes shopping malls, places of
worship, and local businesses will offset the need for building new
structures and help to create an environment of inclusion. If a person
feels welcomed at a particular location, they are more likely to return
to that place in their time of need. It will also serve the community
well to be educated on the limitations of shelter locations. Creating
some type of ‘sticker’ system that can be adhered to a facility’s
window or front door could be the answer. Much like hours of
operation signage, this would be simple and easily understandable to
all.
A matrix for size specifications, demographic served, and stipulations
to participation needs to be created and categorized by types of
sheltering services available. Mapping current locations and
identifying regions of need will also need to be done. This step in the
process, along with the aforementioned matrix, would fall under the
communications plan and will need to be available in multiple
languages, including braille and an audio option, to reach out to all
members of our community. As templates and points of reference,
programs such as the San Francisco Department of Homelessness
and Supportive Housing should be carefully evaluated and emulated.
Providing transportation option to shelters for those who are unable
to travel there on their own should also be integrated into the
sheltering plan.
A Bit More About Communications
A sheltering network, no matter how effectively and efficiently
planned, is of no good to anyone if no one knows about it. Therefore,
Iowa City would benefit greatly by developing and enriching an
inclusive, easy to use, and well-orchestrated communication system.
To use our time and resources most efficiently, it is important to first
determine the current assets and plans that are already in place and
build a solid, cohesive structure on that foundation. Our current
preparedness measures are developed by the Local Emergency
Planning Committee (LEPC) in tandem with the Joint Emergency
Communication Center (JECC). LEPC includes input from: the Iowa
Emergency Response Commission (IERC), various companies
overseeing pipelines running through Johnson County, freight
railroad companies, Homeland Security, and many others. Resources
such as the Special Needs Emergency Registry and the Johnson
County Emergency Notification System sign-up forms are currently in
place for residents to voluntarily add themselves to a notification list
that helps first responders more quickly and accurately assess an
individual’s needs and more effectively push out warnings of
impending dangerous conditions.
The “Reverse 911” emergency notification system, formerly called
“Code Red,” is in place to sound sirens indicating severe storm
weather and tornado activity. But that’s not all that it does. It is set
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up to push out warnings via telephone, text or call, as well as through
emails. It is also our system that includes the Amber Alert for
abducted or missing children. Our communication infrastructure is
mostly intact, we simply need to flesh it out and polish delivery
mechanisms. Adding a personal element such as a coalition of
residents that volunteer to make individual calls for warning and
reminders would effectively make climate preparedness in Iowa City
an example for the nation.
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Building and Energy Efficiency
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Existing Buildings: Retrofit 10 percent of all buildings by 2025
and 90 percent by 2050.
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
Actions
• 1.1 Increase Energy Efficiency in Residences
• 4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
Buildings’ Efficiencies: Issue and Goals
Energy efficiency is an important aspect of reducing
greenhouse gasses, as residential and commercial buildings
produce 39% of the nation’s Co2 emissions as well as consume
70% of the nation’s electricity usage. The largest energy uses in
the home are cooling (15%), heating (14%), water heating (12%),
lighting (6%), and refrigeration (6%) (EIA). Iowa City’s Climate
Action plan seeks to retrofit 10 % of existing buildings by 2025
as well as reach 45 to 48% savings in new buildings through new
code enforcement. The 2050 goals set out to retrofit 90% of
existing buildings and reach 80% energy savings through new
code enforcement. Buildings contribute the most in terms of
consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions for the city at 68%
(Iowa City). Energy efficiency of buildings is an area of the
climate action plan that will result in large emissions reductions
as well as added health and social equity effects. Many homes
in Iowa City could benefit from weatherization, and such
changes would go far in saving energy, as the average yearly
savings for a weatherized home is $284. In comparison, an
energy inefficient home could be losing anywhere from $200-
$400 of the average $2000 annual energy cost to inefficiencies.
If buildings become more energy efficient, then Iowa City’s
emissions will decrease greatly. The Climate plan’s actions to
reach these goals include increasing energy efficiency in homes,
using codes to ensure new buildings are energy efficient, as well
as increasing on-site renewable energy and the electrification
of household tasks such as water heating and space heating.
MidAmerican’s electricity in the future will be mainly wind and
have a very low emission footprint. Since most greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions in Iowa City will be reduced by MidAmerican
Energy’s use of wind energy, lowering the amount of natural
gas used through electrification is the city’s primary goal of
GHG reduction. Natural Gas is a non-renewable resource, and
one that is commonly used in homes for heating and cooking.
By switching over to electric sources for these activities,
nonrenewable resources could be saved.
Challenges with residential energy efficiency arise with rental
housing and lower income residents, as weatherization can be
costly and is not a priority of landlords who do not have to pay
the electric bill every month. Low income households who may
40
not have the means to weatherize are also negatively affected.
Low energy efficiency increases costs for residents and has a
positive impact on emission. Lower-income families are
susceptible to higher energy bill costs due to lack of
weatherization in their homes, which leads to great inequity on
spending income on heat and power utility costs. Low-income
households spend 16.3% of their income on heating, compared
to 3.5% for other households (DOE).
Current and Future Trends, Policy, and Issues
Weatherization is the improvement of a home in terms of
efficiency, and can be costly, especially when vulnerable
populations disproportionally have less efficient dwellings in
need of weatherization. Currently, the federal government
employs a weatherization program in which the home is
outfitted and insulated using various techniques to weatherize
the home. Such techniques include mechanical, building,
electric, water, and safety testing measures of heating systems.
Buildings are typically energy inefficient through windows,
roofs, walls, doors, and the foundation. Windows alone are
responsible for 25-30% of heating and cooling energy loss
(DOE). In order to solve for this issue, one must either replace
or update their windows. Replacing windows outright can
present a large cost barrier and weatherizing existing windows
can also be effective if the windows are in good condition. To
improve existing windows, the Department of Energy suggests
caulking and weather-stripping for homes in the MidWest. Air
leaks in a home’s construction is a major contributor to energy
inefficiencies, and an energy audit is needed in most cases to
find the location of leaks. Air leaks are a larger issue of fixing
such leaks can be as simple as using caulk on areas of ducting,
plumbing, electrical that come through the walls, floors, or
ceiling (DOE).
Older homes use more energy per square foot than newer
homes, which drives the need to weatherize older homes and
why often low-income renters and homeowners living in older
homes are so vulnerable. As the chart from the National Home
Builder’s Association shows, older homes use more energy for
heating and cooling, thus the need for weatherization. Homes
built before 1940 use the most energy to heat, in part due to
different building and energy codes and practices. These old
homes should be the target for immediate weatherization
action.
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Spatial Equity
Homes in Iowa City vary by age and therefore the level of
vulnerability in terms of energy efficiency. Older homes are
located near the downtown area and get newer as the city
expands. Many older homes are in vulnerable areas, which
makes them a priority when targeting areas for weatherization
efforts. The first map shows the residential parcels of the city,
along with the year that they were constructed. This map
allows for the general trends of home age to be observed for
the city. The next map displays older homes made before 1940
on top of the vulnerability index for the city. 1940 was chosen
as the cutoff year as homes that are this old use much more
energy to heat and cool as compared to homes built in the 21st
century.
Policies and Programs
Residential
The largest weatherization program is the US Department of
Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. They assist low
income households with the weatherization process and
complete over 35,000 household weatherization’s a year
through the funding of local programs. Nationally, there are
about 20-30 million households that are eligible for
weatherization, which is carried out locally. In Johnson county,
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HCAPS) is the
contact for weatherization programs. The weatherization
42
options available include lead-based paint services and Alliant
Energy Home Energy Savers program. However, Alliant Energy
Homes Energy Savers Program does not service Johnson
County, and their website redirects residents to
iowacommunityaction.org, which redirects the resident back to
HCAPS. HCAPS serves 200 homes annually, and eligibility is
determined on income and utility usage. The average first year
savings after the program in Iowa City is $476. This high savings
demonstrates the need for weatherization in Iowa City For
every dollar spent on the program, there is a $1.54 return on
the investment (DOE). One is automatically eligible if they
receive supplemental security income or aid to families with
dependent children. Green Iowa Americorps also weatherizes
Iowa City through their free program. They conduct an energy
audit as well as implement weatherization techniques. The free
aspect of the program is important for reaching low income
residents who would otherwise not have the resources to
weatherize their home on their own.
Building Codes
Iowa City currently has adopted the 2015 International Building
Code, the 2015 International residential code, the Iowa state
mechanical code, the Iowa state electrical code, and the Iowa
state plumbing code. The International Energy Conservation
Code is also enforced by the City. The latest edition of the
International Energy Conservation Code is expected to be
published in late 2019. Such codes are instrumental to the
energy efficiency in a home, namely the building code and
energy conservation code. Local codes can be stricter than
state codes in Iowa, so there is room for the establishment of
stronger codes and the future implementation of a net-zero
energy code to be phased into use. The updated versions of the
international codes are expected to be adopted, but there is
still opportunity to amend and expand energy efficiency
requirements.
Recommendations
The City of Iowa City, through the initiatives and actions described in
the Climate Action Plan, can make policy to address building energy
use and efficiency. The weatherization programs can be promoted
actively by the city, as there is great room to streamline the energy
audit and weatherization process. If Iowa City can promote the
utilization of Green Iowa AmeriCorps and HCAPS service to
vulnerable homes and the public in general, the goal to retrofit 90%
of current buildings by 2050 can be achievable. Targeting the
vulnerable populations with older homes should be the first step, as
those groups might be less able to set up an audit and act on their
own.
Energy efficiency codes can be made more stringent that state codes,
so implementing a net-zero policy is both achievable and legal. Iowa
City ought to investigate ways on how to phase such a code into the
building codes and focus how the same net-zero standards can be
phased into existing buildings in the future. New editions of current
codes should be adopted as they are published, along with research
into amendments to strengthen the energy efficiency of new
buildings
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Sustainable Lifestyles
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach
• Create a culture of sustainability across Iowa City as a general
way of life.
• Promoting local food options and considering eating less
meat and dairy
Actions
• 4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
• 5.2 Expand Community Gardens and Access to Healthy Local
Foods
• 5.3 Encourage the Purchase of Local Products and
Responsible purchasing
The Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) aims to
protect vulnerable populations from extreme weather events. A
vulnerable population may include senior citizens, minority
populations, single-parent households, special needs populations,
immigrants, and low-income populations. The CAAP strives to reduce
socio-economic vulnerabilities, energy consumption, goods imported
into the Iowa City economy (i.e., reduce Iowa City’s consumption
footprint).
The main objective of this section is to identify establishments that
locally source or redistribute food and goods in Iowa City. We aim to
promote affordable goods systems and reuse. We also aim to
identify where local foods and goods supply systems may be difficult
to access, especially in extreme weather situations.
We will address two objectives in the Sustainable Lifestyle section of
the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP):
The Iowa City community can access locally grown produce through
a variety of ways, including farmers markets, personal gardening,
community-supported agriculture (CSAs), community kitchens, soup
kitchens, and selected items at local grocery stores. The municipality
also operates a community garden plot leasing program and
Beginning Gardening program. There are 197 garden plots available
for rent at four locations: Chadek Green Park (fifty-six 10’x20’ plots),
Kiwanis Park (twenty 10’x20’ plots), Reno Street Park (sixteen 10’x20’
plots), and Wetherby Park (thirty-seven 10’x50’ plots; sixty-eight
10’x23’ plots).
You can support local economic development and decrease your
greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation by
purchasing local foods and goods as well as more durable products.
Sections of Iowa City, especially areas found to be
socially/climatically vulnerable do not have local and/or second-hand
stores nearby. This can be an issue for people without easy access to
transportation resources. Eight stores in Iowa City sell low cost,
redistributed items (consignment and thrift stores). The City of Iowa
City can help increase the percentage of purchased reused goods as
opposed to purchased new products using virgin materials.
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Local Food Advocates: Food Policy Councils and Planners
Food policy councils recommend and implement food policy
decisions at the local and regional levels (Cotton Dean, 2012). Food
policy councils can take many forms, some operate independently of
government, while others are housed entirely within government
departments. They are made up of a group of stakeholders and
representatives from different divisions of the food system. Food
policy councils often include justice and anti-hunger advocates,
government officials, farmers, grocers, food processors/distributors,
and concerned citizens (Harper et al., 2009). Food policy councils
were created as a means of analyzing and developing policies and
programs for the food system. They engage with government, non-
profit projects, local businesses, and food workers. “Instead of many
advocates working on the isolated symptoms of a failing food system,
Food Policy Councils attempt to establish platforms for coordinated
action at the local level” (Harper et al., 2009).
There are four formal food policy councils in Iowa: (1) the Johnson
County Food Policy Council, (2) the Linn County Food Systems Council,
(3) the Cass County Local Food Policy Council, and (4) the
Pottawattamie Local Food Policy Council. In addition to these food
policy councils, there are two resources available on food policy in
Iowa. Dean (2012) examines the challenges and opportunities of the
Iowa Food Policy Council (IFPC), one of the most prominent state-
level food policy councils created. The IFPC became the second
statewide food policy council in existence, and it offered a voice for
small-scale producers, food justice advocates, and others who
represent an alternative to the typical commodity-dominated
agricultural interests of Iowa (Cotton Dean, 2012).
The Johnson County Food Policy Council (JCFPC) works to improve
communication between community stakeholders and provides
advice on food and agriculture issues within the county. In the 2018
Comprehensive Plan, the JCFPC adopted two priority issues: ag-
exemption based on land use rather than minimum acreage size and
adoption of a rural agritourism zoning district (JCFPC, 2018). Ag-
exemption is an issue because a farmer operating on less than 40
acres has limited opportunity to build a home or their land or develop
important farm infrastructure (JCFPC, 2018). Johnson County needs
to define a farm based on land use instead of lot size (JCFPC, 2018).
Johnson County also needs creative ideas on how to better support
agricultural production of varying scales and variety (JCFPC, 2018).
Agritourism zoning is an issue because the current permits only allow
for limited operation and can make predictability and growth harder
for small producers to project (JCFPC, 2018). Johnson County needs
more diverse rural economic development, including a focus on
agritourism, in unincorporated areas of the county (JCFPC, 2018).
In 2015, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors created the Local
Foods and Planning Specialist position, which is housed in the
Planning, Development and Sustainability department. The Board of
Supervisors recognized the importance of local foods and the need
to develop a community-based food system. The goal is to create a
healthy system that reduces resource use, supports worker’s rights,
and protects the natural environment (JCFPC, 2018). Urban
agriculture can help to support resilience within cities by providing
additional food sources, increasing urban green spaces, and
providing other ecosystem benefits (Demuzerea et al., 2014). There
are four community gardens in Iowa City, as well as thirteen local
growers. Some of the local growers include Urban Greens, Wilson’s
Orchard, and Wild Woods Farm. Urban Greens produces
microgreens and micro-herbs year-round. Wilson’s Orchard provides
family fun, apple picking, and local cider. Wild Woods Farm provides
sustainable vegetable for Iowa City and the surrounding area. More
local urban producers are shown in the ArcMap(s) discussed below.
45
An additional resource for the City of Iowa City is an Iowa guidebook
on municipal zoning for local foods created by Taylor and Vaage
(2015a). Their work provides guidance and sample zoning code
language designed to increase access to local food and to promote
production and sales activities commonly associated with urban
agriculture (Taylor & Vaage, 2015a). The guidebook has nine
chapters from community gardens and compost to bees and
hydroponics. Each chapter has an “Existing Regulations” section,
highlighting the commonalities found among municipalities’ codes.
Depending on the activity, these may include the zoning districts
where uses are commonly allowed, the types of operating standards
and restrictions that are generally put into place and the accessory or
incidental activities generally allowed with the use (Taylor & Vaage,
2015a).
Local Goods Redistribution and Resale Systems
The various goods Americans buy contribute to GHG emissions.
Goods can include but are not limited to office supplies, reading
materials, personal care and hygiene products, clothing, housewares,
and entertainment. Jones and Kammen (2011) compared the carbon
footprints of typical United States households in 28 different cities
and found that GHG emissions from food (5-7 tCO2e) and goods (6-8
tCO2e) are quite consistent across cities.
Americans are increasingly accepting and utilizing secondhand or
thrift stores. Norum (2015) found that the desire to donate is
positively associated with giving to both charity and secondhand
stores. However, one third of surveyed participants disposed of their
extra clothing in the trash (Scarborough et al., 2014). This study
presented the need to reduce secondhand clothing being sent to the
landfill if those goods can be redirected (Norum, 2015).
Today’s sustainability defines the models necessary to slow or
reverse pollution, conserve natural resources, and protect the
environment. AeromatiCo (2018) defines seven R’s of sustainability,
expanding on the most famous three: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The
seven R’s consist of rethink, refuse, reduce, repurpose, reuse, recycle,
and rot. For example, “refuse” requires a person to refuse single-use
plastics and non-recyclable packaging. These principles allow people
to continuously think about sustainability, from spring cleaning to
grocery shopping.
Iowa City has twelve secondhand stores, including bookstores,
antique stores, thrift stores, consignment stores, and other types of
stores. People donate and purchase reused items at these stores.
They can also shop secondhand at several local online selling
platforms. Iowa City residents utilize these platforms:
1. Freecycle.org Iowa City: a page for giving/receiving free
items in a respective town and keeping items out of landfills
2. Iowa City Garage Sale Facebook: a public Facebook group for
buying/reselling items in Iowa City
3. Craigslist Iowa City
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Recommended Solution: Local Foods and Goods Database
We created a database consisting of various businesses and
establishments in Iowa City that sell locally produced foods and
goods and that sell goods secondhand. We created this map in order
to put information on businesses selling local food and goods in one
place. It is our hope that by consolidating this data, it will be easier
for community members to find places to shop that are sustainable
and align with their values.
We researched local food and goods establishments in Iowa City
through Google, Yelp, Little Village, and Field to Family. All store and
business information were stored in a Microsoft Excel workbook. We
added 68 stores and organizations to our database.
This database is publicly available through ArcMap Online, so
everyone will be able to view it. To access the map, go to
https://arcg.is/0Obr0G . Each pop-out box includes information
based on the different types of stores, organizations, or businesses.
For example, a restaurant pop-out box includes the name,
description, price range, address, website link, and latitude/longitude
coordinates.
The database includes the business location, price range information
(when available), and types of goods/foods sold. Local restaurants
were taken from Field to Family, which has information on locally-
sourced restaurants in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids areas. Price
range information was taken from the Little Village Magazine, which
has pricing information for restaurants in both Iowa City and Cedar
Rapids. For businesses not listed in Little Village, Yelp reviews and
personal experience were used.
The price index is as follows:
• $ = $10 and under
• $$ = $10-$20
• $$$ = $20-$30
• $$$$ = $30 and over
Local food in Iowa City can come from a range of sources. There are
four community gardens with rental plots available, farmers markets
that sell local produce between May and October, and twenty
restaurants that sell locally produced food. The majority of locally-
sourcing restaurants price a typical meal between $10 to $20 (65%),
followed by $20 to $30 (20%). They are mainly located in downtown
Iowa City, adjacent to the University of Iowa.
The seven R's of sustainability.
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Local Farms and Stores Data Summary
Food Establishments
Item Type Total Description
Community Garden 4 City of Iowa City community garden plots available to the public
Food Pantry 3 Includes food pantries in Iowa City, on university property, and pantry distributors
Grocery Store 18 Includes all grocery stores and food co-ops
Local Farms/Growers 11 Wilson’s Orchard
Restaurant 20 Only restaurants that source at least one menu item with local food or drink
Goods Establishments
Item Type Total Description
Other 4 Includes bookstores, antique stores, etc., that source locally or secondhand
Secondhand Store 8 Includes thrift and consignment stores
Total 68
Using the Local Foods and Goods database to get information on Mosley’s Barbecue and Provisions.
48
Vulnerability Analysis
In addition to creating the spatial database, we analyzed spatial
trends concerning vulnerability. We had additional concerns about
vulnerable populations having access to these businesses, and maps
showing where these places fall with respect to various vulnerability
indices are shown and discussed below.
Food and goods establishments were mapped overtop both
transportation (roads and infrastructure) and floodplain. 100-year
and 500-year floods are displayed to analyze businesses that would
be inaccessible in the event of a major flood. Five businesses are
located within the 100- and 500-year floodplains: three of which are
grocery stores and two of which are restaurants. Several businesses
and farms were close to the floodplain boundaries.
We also explored these establishments overlaying the social
vulnerability index (SoVI) described in Section 2, so we could see
whether vulnerable populations have satisfactory access to
local/secondhand foods and goods. Quite a bit of area within the city
does not have easy access to these goods- most of the locally
sourced/second hand businesses and restaurants cluster in the
center of Iowa City along the River. Census blocks to the west,
northeast, east, and southeast have very few local/secondhand
businesses- three blocks only have one business, one block has three,
and about seventeen blocks have no local/secondhand businesses.
The more vulnerable blocks around the edges of the city often do not
have any locally-sourced stores, restaurants, or secondhand stores.
Most notably, the red blocks (denoting highest vulnerability to the
east and southeast have only one business between them.
Additionally, the highly vulnerable block to the west, which is also
surrounded by areas of median vulnerability, also have only one
business.
These maps show all food related establishments in Iowa City: community gardens, grocery
stores, restaurants that source food locally, food pantries, and local farms. The blue and
purple floodplains show the 100-year and 500-year floods for Iowa City. The dark blue lines
symbolize the street network.
49
Future Research
Climate conscious ranking system for all Iowa City restaurants and
grocery stores
Taking it a step further from recognizing businesses that sell local
foods or secondhand goods, the city could create a ranking system
for climate-conscious businesses. Climate consciousness is a mindset
based on reducing your carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions,
and waste, ultimately reducing your contribution to climate change.
Local and environmental impacts must be accounted for, e.g.,
sourcing choices, distance traveled by goods, embodied energy, low
waste, health impacts, and pricing.
"Meet your milkers" signage and publicity for local farmers in HyVee.
This map shows all goods related establishments in Iowa City: thrift stores,
consignment stores, and other secondhand businesses. The blue and purple
floodplains show the 100-year and 500-year floods for Iowa City. The dark
blue lines symbolize transport.
This map shows all Iowa City stores and farms overlaying the social vulnerability
index—the choropleth color range. The blue and purple floodplains show the 100-
year and 500-year floods for Iowa City. This map is zoomed in.
50
Endorse better labelling to find local, healthy, organic foods in
grocery stores
The City of Iowa City could better promote local producers and
resources to find locally sourced foods in stores. While labeling
systems do exist for local and organic food, it is not always consistent
or clear for consumers. The City could urge grocery stores to use a
common labelling system for healthy choices. Lastly, the City could
promote a single resource for the different labelling systems in
different stores. For example, HyVee has different signage and
labelling for different events or types of items as shown in figure on
the previous page.
Research and map distribution and supply data for establishments
Distribution and supply data would be valuable to show spatial trends
throughout the city. Mapping distribution and supply flows could
give further insight into where local goods are coming from and
where they are ending up. Mapping these trends could also show
inefficiencies in the distribution system that the city could address
once exposed. In addition, having information on the sourcing of
local goods would be a good addition for the informational pop-up in
the current Local Foods and Goods database.
Recommendations: Local Foods Passport
A local foods passport would serve as a rewards program for
consumers. It could be an application that offers information on
businesses and restaurants that source locally, as well as maps that
show where resources came from, and where to purchase local foods.
Consumers that buy local goods would receive credits that could be
exchanged for various rewards such as a free meal or a discount on
future purchases. SNAP members could also get benefits and
discounts through this passport.
Massachusetts has a plan like this known as HIP: The Healthy
Incentives Program. It works by providing additional funds to SNAP
participants who buy fruits and vegetables from participating farmers’
markets, mobile markets, farm stands, or Community Supported
Agriculture farm share programs. Depending on the size of the
household, participants can earn between an additional $40 and $80
to their regular monthly benefits (CISA, 2019). A system put in place
in Iowa City like this could go a long way in promoting healthy, local
food to those who truly need it.
Both Seattle and Paris also have local food passport programs aimed
at tourists. These programs are advertised as self-guided tours and
include maps, tastings, and information about the food and the city.
The Paris program ranges from 35 to 45 € depending on if you
purchase 6 or 12 tastings. In Iowa City, we propose a local food and
good passport that could have similar levels of mapping and
information available, but that serves as more of a rewards program
than a tourism hook. Rather than selling tickets and telling
consumers where to go, provide a map/list of choices of businesses
that are participating in the program. If a consumer shops at one of
these businesses they could receive several points, and after
receiving a certain number the points can then be redeemed for
some sort of incentive.
More research will need to be done exploring potential incentives
and rewards that could be provided by the City to participating
businesses, businesses that would like to opt in, and participating
consumers. Potential participants in this type of program will need to
be identified, and businesses will need to be contacted to collect their
insights and assess their interest (e.g., secondhand store managers
and local co-op managers).
51
Vehicle Miles Traveled and Electric Vehicles
Alignment to the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan
Targets
• Increase community-wide adoption of electric and
alternative fuel vehicles.
• Identify vulnerable populations in Iowa City and develop
communications and outreach approach.
Actions
• 2.2 Embrace Electric Vehicles, Alternative Fuel Vehicles. And
Other Emerging Technologies
• 4.1 Conduct a Vulnerable Populations Asset Mapping
Exercise
Background
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved through
reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMTs). One way to reduce VMTs is
through up-zoning – increasing the density of a zone. The Iowa City
Comprehensive Plan encourages mixed-use development which can
encourage density and intermodal connections. Iowa City has
allowed ‘granny flats’ or accessory units in the Peninsula
neighborhood. These ‘granny flats’ double the density in otherwise
single-family zones. Through Minneapolis 2040, Minneapolis’
Comprehensive Plan, the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota has gotten
rid of their single-family zoning, opting instead to up-zone – allowing
up to three dwelling units per lot (also known as triplexes) to be built
in residential neighborhoods and high-density buildings along transit
corridors. This increases the housing choice and housing supply by
allowing multifamily housing on select public transit routes with
higher densities along high-frequency routes and near METRO
stations. It is important to note that these triplexes are going to be
implemented gradually as needed as the city grows. Intermodal
connections are another way to reduce VMTs. Intermodal
connections are when a person uses two or more modes of
transportation to reach their final destination. For example, walking
to the bus stop, taking a bus, and walking to your final destination. A
small group of graduate students at the University of Iowa worked on
shared mobility, electric shuttles and on demand service as a way to
reduce VMTs for the Iowa City transportation plan.
The transportation sector makes up for a third of the nation’s
greenhouse gas emissions, with most of those emissions coming from
privately owned vehicles. Specifically, Iowa City’s transportation
sector makes up for 15 percent of the community’s emissions and
accounts for the second largest source of the City’s emissions, after
energy consumption for buildings. According to the Iowa City Climate
Action Plan, in order to effectively meet the GHG emissions goals,
Iowa City would need to shift 50 percent of trips from conventional
personal vehicles to other alternatives. Reducing the total amount of
vehicle miles travelled (VMTs) and replacing gas-powered cars by
electric vehicles would reduce emissions. However, the City will need
to have plans and infrastructure in place to advocate and
accommodate for this shift.
52
The transition to electric vehicles is well underway with more than 1
million electric vehicles operating in the United States as of October
2018[1]. An increasing amount of car manufacturers are responding
to this demand and are developing more electric models that are
increasingly competitive in cost to conventional combustion engines
(see Table below). As a result, the electric vehicle market is expected
to see significant growth over the next few years as the vehicles
continue to meet consumer needs, provide environmental benefits
and support America’s energy security. The Edison Electric Institute
(EEI) and the Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI) developed a
forecast of electric vehicles sales through 2030. The stock of electric
vehicles is projected to reach 18.7 million in 2030 as seen in the figure
to the right. However, if Iowa City wishes to encourage more electric
vehicles, the City will need to have plans and infrastructure in place to
properly accommodate and advocate for this increased shift.
Electric Vehicles Models (2017-2019)
Model Range (Miles) Price ($USD)
2017
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV 63 $23,500
2017 Smart Tortwo electric drive 70 $25,750
2017 Ford Focus Electric 76 $29,120
2017 Nissan Leaf 107 $31,000
2017 Kia Soul EV 93 $32,250
2017 FIAT 500e 84 $32,995
2017 Chevrolet Bolt 238 $36,620
2017 BMW i3 114 $42,400
Tesla S 70 234 $72,700
Tesla X 75D 238 $85,500
Tesla X 90D 257 $93,500
Tesla S 100D 360 $97,500
Tesla X P100D 289 $145,000
2019
2019 Nissan Leaf 150 - 226 $30,685
2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric 124 $31,235
2019 Hyundai Kona Electric 258 $37,495
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV 238 $37,495
2019 Tesla Model 3 240 - 310 $40,700
2019 BMW i3 153 $45,445
2019 Tesla Model S 315 - 335 $86,200
2019 Tesla Model X 289 - 295 $90,700
Electric Vehicle Stock Forecast (2018-2030)
53
Current Conditions
Charging stations are needed to provide the convenience of charging
for local residents and visitors alike at work, during meetings, running
errands, or at a doctor appointment. These charging stations are
particularly useful and necessary for people who do not have at-
home charging stations: students, renters, and visitors.
Electric vehicles do not emit emissions while driving, but they need to be
charged which requires a great deal of electricity which is generated
from a power plant and if that plant runs on coal and electric vehicle
could be just as damaging as a conventional combustion engine.
However, the energy companies which serve Iowa City have invested in
utilizing renewable resources to generate energy to be more
environmentally friendly. MidAmerican Energy Company provides rates
that are 37 percent below the national average and as of 2016 the
company has 48 percent of its energy generation come from wind.
Alliant Energy is transitioning to a cleaner mix of energy courses and
expanding use of renewable resources.
There are three general levels of charging infrastructure that are
commercially available: Level 1 is the cheapest and provides 2 to 5
miles of range per 1 hour of charging time. Level 2 is the most
common and provides 10 to 20 miles of range per 1 hour of charging
time. Finally, Direct Current (DC) Fast Chargers or Level 3 provides 60
to 80 miles of range per 20 minutes of charging time. Level 3 is the
most expensive charging station to purchase.
Iowa City currently has 25 Level 2 charging stations around the City.
12 of which are in different municipal parking garages which are
available 24 hours, 2 are located at car dealerships and 11 are located
at private businesses which some offer 24/7 charging access while
other are only available during business hours. Almost all charging
stations available to the public are free because non-utility
companies cannot legally charge for the direct sale of electricity, but
revenue can potentially be recuperated from parking fees.
Charging stations in Iowa City.
54
Charging stations in Iowa City (Plug-Share).
Https://www.plugshare.com and https://www.chargepoint.com/
are websites that show the location of electric vehicle charging
stations, hours of operation, cost, and availability.
Charging stations in Iowa (Charge Point).
Key Barriers for Adoption of Electric Vehicles
Despite the long-term financial benefits that electric vehicles can
provide, the assumption of higher upfront price represents a barrier
because consumers often do not consider the total cost of ownership
when making a vehicle purchase. Electric vehicles provide clear cost
savings when it comes to gas, but they also provide an increase in
savings for overall ownership. Electric vehicles only contain one
moving part while the conventional combustion engine contains
dozens and do not need to replace items like fan belts, air filters and
cylinder heads and therefore electric vehicle owners avoid many
repeated costs associated with combustion engine upkeep. Electric
vehicle largest maintenance expense would be replacing the battery
because over time batteries degrade and hold less range time. While
rare, battery replacements can be costly, but many manufacturers
such as Nissan, Chevrolet, and Tesla will over the replacement if the
vehicle is under a battery warranty.
There is also concern over at home charging stations and the added
cost of not only installation but also added electricity usage they
bring for both single- family residential and multi-family residential
areas. Charging stations can range in prices dependent on the brand,
level of charge, and length of charging cord but most range from $200
to $600 plus installation.
One of the most significant barriers to widespread electric vehicle
adoption is consumers’ “range anxiety.” Range anxiety is the concern
that during use, the electric vehicle will run out of power before
reaching the destination or a suitable charging station. Even with
enough charging stations, it may still be challenging for electric
vehicle drivers to find a place to charge up because stations can be
difficult to locate while driving and not being able look at an app.
They can be poorly designed because electric vehicles charging
stations need more space around the car in order to provide
55
sufficient space for a person to stand by the charging equipment and
operate it which is typically a 3-foot by 3-foot space. Then finally, lack
of enforcement for electric vehicle only parking spaces, people are
less aware of parking requirements when it comes to charging only
spaces verses a handicapped parking spot which is nationally
regulated, and more are aware of the penalties associated with
parking in one without reason.
The lack of available charging stations in many places and the
increase time it takes to recharge an electric vehicle compared to
filling a tank of gas is a drawback for many consumers. It is faster and
more efficient to pump one gallon of gasoline (about one minute) to
go an average of 20-25 miles versus one hour of charging using a
Level 2 charger to have 10 – 20 miles of range. Some drivers may not
want to take the extra time to charge an electric vehicle or charge
more often, instead preferring to use a traditional combustion engine
(gasoline-powered) vehicle.
Solutions to Overcome the Key Barriers
A way to offset the high upfront costs and encourage more people to
see electric vehicles as a realistic option over a conventional
combustion engine is to offer incentives for buying an electric vehicle.
The federal government offers a tax credit for purchasing a new
electric vehicle. The minimum tax credit ranges from $2,500 to
$7,500 depending on the battery capacity and vehicle weight. The
credit is time-sensitive and will be phased out for each manufacturer
when a minimum of 200,000 electric vehicles have been sold in the
United States.
States offer a variety of incentives and rebates to encourage electric
vehicles and/or electric vehicle charging stations. However, Iowa
does not provide any incentives or rebates for electric vehicle
purchase or for installing charging stations. Most of the incentives
offered are from private companies such as MidAmerican Energy
Company and Alliant Energy which periodically offer incentives or
discounts to reduce the cost of purchasing or leasing electric vehicles.
ChargePoint, which operates the most open electric vehicle charging
stations, periodically provides incentives and discounts for installing
charging stations at home. Charging stations are becoming available
not only single-family residential homes but also to multi-family
residential units. Alliant Energy provides rebates for communities,
business and multi-family locations for installing level 2 chargers.
ChargePoint also works with property managers to provide charging
stations for multi-family residential units for various types of parking
situations whether it is assigned parking or shared parking.
A way to minimize range anxiety and improve access to charging
infrastructure is through increased development of charging sites
and better designs. The key considerations for appropriate design are
knowing the number of charging stations needed, where the stations
should be and the desired level of power. A way for Iowa City to
determine the need is through The Department of Energy which
broadly estimates the number of charging stations needed and what
level based on the potential number of electric vehicles and the
current infrastructure in place. While Iowa City has enough charging
stations to meet the current demand of electric vehicles, they are all
level 2 and none are DC fast chargers. According to the Department
of Energy, planners should prioritize fast charging infrastructure first
to establish a fast charging network and then level 2 stations second.
DC Chargers should be prioritized to establish a fast charging network
to enables charging safety nets and provide charging for drivers
without home charging stations which is critical to support all electric
vehicles who have no other alternative for quickly extending their
driving range.
56
Signage for electric vehicle charging stations is an important
consideration to signal electric vehicle charging stations. Increased or
improved signage helps to optimize the use of the charging stations
and provide information on regulations on time limits which facilitate
enforcement of these spaces. This also promotes awareness and
visibility among the public by helping to make prospective electric
vehicle drivers aware of available charging infrastructure.
Examples of various electric charging station signage across Iowa City.
Recommendations
Per the Department of Energy’s general recommendation based on
electric vehicle volume, Iowa City needs one DC Fast Charger. This
will be a draw for visitors to the City, those just passing through, and
for local residents. Visitors and locals can get a quick vehicle charge
while at an appointment, meeting, or sporting event and people just
passing through the City can stop off to get a quick charge before
heading back out onto the interstate. Iowa City can advertise itself as
an ‘EV Fast-Charge Stop’. Since it is the most expensive, the City
should investigate funding options or potentially partner with
ChargePoint since the company has multiple stations throughout the
City already. Possible locations for the DC Fast Charger could include
in downtown Iowa City or at an already-established gas station less
than one mile from the interstate. This would provide easy access to
users and existing signage for the gas station could be utilized to
advertise the charger.
Increase the signage around the charging station parking spot but
also indicate charging stations outside of the parking garages. Drivers
should be able to easily see where charging stations are and an
increase similar signs will be easy indicators.
There should be a way for drivers to reserve electric vehicle chargers.
ChargePoint already provides this service – a person can reserve a
spot at an electric vehicle charger. This site also lets users pay with a
ChargePass card. Rates vary, and reservations can be cancelled.
57
Glossary
Climate Change – The process in which the Earth is growing warmer due the release of carbon dioxide associated with human activity. A warmer
climate means that there will be more high temperature days in Iowa City.
Climate Conscious – A mindset based on reducing your carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste, ultimately reducing your
contribution to climate change.
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) – Software used by planners, engineers, geographers, and other professions to identify characteristics and
patterns as they occur across space.
Polar Vertex (pl. Vertices) – The phenomenon in which due to overall warmer temperatures, the Jet Stream is drastically weakened. This means
that frigid polar can travel further south than historically precedented.
Proxy – When data for a desired variable is not obtainable, another variable expected to follow the same patterns is used in its place.
Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) - A multifaceted index that computes susceptibility to hazards based on factors including race, gender, income,
age, and other factors that may increase or decrease the ability of an individual or population to cope with external pressures.
Thermal Radiation – A type of radiation, or emission of electromagnetic wave, due to heat from a given material. Special instruments are used to
measure thermal radiation, allowing temperature variations to be calculated.
Urban Heat Island Effect – The phenomenon in which the temperature in urbanized areas is higher than areas with less intense development. This
means that in a city’s downtown area, the temperature is higher than in its suburbs and exurbs. This is because surfaces such as pavement absorb
heat and do not allow rainwater to penetrate.
Vulnerable Population – Senior citizens, minority populations, single-parent households, special needs populations, immigrants, and low-income
populations.
58
Appendices
Appendix: Approaches to Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability
Academic Approach: Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI)
In “Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards”, Cutter, et al. developed a Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for the United States calculated from
county-level socioeconomic and demographic data (Cutter, Boruff, & Shirley, 2003). Eleven factors of social vulnerability to environmental hazards
were determined from factor analytic analysis (Cutter, Boruff, & Shirley, 2003):
• Personal wealth
o Measured through per capita income
• Age
o Measured through median age
• Density of the built environment
o Measured by the number of commercial establishments per square mile
• Single-sector economic dependence
o Measured by the percentage of employment in extractive industries
• Housing stock and tenancy
o Measured by the percentage of housing units that are mobile homes
• Race – African American
o Measured by the percentage of African American
• Ethnicity – Hispanic
o Measured by the percentage of Hispanic
• Ethnicity – Native American
o Measured by the percentage of Native American
• Race – Asian
o Measured by the percentage of Asian
• Occupation
o Measured by percentage of employment in service occupations
• Infrastructure dependence
o Measured by the percentage of employment in transportation, communication, and public utilities
59
Municipal Approach: The City of Minneapolis Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Through the Public Health Institute (PHI) Climate Learning Collaborative Grant from the Center for Climate Change & Health, the City of
Minneapolis developed a project in October 2015 to address climate change (City of Minneapolis, 2018). The project was executed according to
the following three phases (City of Minneapolis, 2018):
1. A Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment was conducted to identify neighborhoods vulnerable to climate change
2. Based on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, three neighborhoods were selected for community outreach and engagement
with partnering community organizations
3. The community outreach and engagement events were evaluated, and neighborhood-specific climate resiliency recommendations were
prepared for policy makers
The City of Minneapolis Office of Sustainability collaborated with University of Minnesota School of Public Affairs Urban and Regional Planning
graduate students to complete the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (City of Minneapolis, 2018). Their Assessment identified both social
and built environment vulnerability to climate change events, such as extreme heat and flooding, and provided the data for an online mapping
tool, Neighborhoods at Risk (The University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs). The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
performed included the following social vulnerability metrics at the U.S. Census tract level (The University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public
Affairs):
• Poverty
• People of Color
• Disability
• Limited English Proficiency
• Older Population
• Young Children
• Renters
• No Vehicle Access
• Air Conditioning
60
The City of Minneapolis’ “Neighborhoods at Risk” online mapping tool
Comparing the Academic and Municipal Approaches
To perform a climate change vulnerability assessment for Iowa City, the municipal approach with the work completed by the City of Minneapolis
was referenced as it is more suitable in terms of geographic compatibility and technical practicality than the academic approach. Cutter, et al.
provided the foundations for assessing vulnerabilities at a county-level but it is uncertain whether the factors can also be applied at the city, or
more specifically at the neighborhood, level. Additionally, several of Cutter, et al.’s factors are difficult to obtain at the city or neighborhood level,
such as single-sector economic dependence, occupation, and infrastructure dependence. Unlike Cutter, et al.’s approach, the indicators used by
the Minneapolis Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment not only parallel those of a 2014 Minnesota Department of Health climate vulnerability
assessment but were also adapted for the geographic scale of the City of Minneapolis and reviewed by various City of Minneapolis staff (The
University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs). For these reasons, and general geographic compatibility and technical practicality,
the Minneapolis Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment was used as a reference for the Iowa City climate change vulnerability assessment.
61
Appendix: Iowa City Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Methodology
The following data sources and methodology were adapted from “Technical Report: Minneapolis Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment” (The
University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs). The Geographic Information System (GIS) tool used for the vulnerability assessment
is ESRI ArcMap.
TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data census block group geodatabase from the U.S. Census served as the main source of
data. The geodatabase contains the 2016 TIGER/Line shapefiles of Johnson County, Iowa block groups and census data from the 2012-2016
American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. The download is available at https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-
series/geo/tiger-data.html.
Eight of the nine vulnerability indicators were constructed from the following 2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimates:
Vulnerability
Indicator
2012-2016
ACS 5-year
estimates
Code
2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimates Code
Description
Calculation Performed to Develop the Vulnerability
Indicator
Rent-Burden B25071e1 Median Gross Rent As A Percentage Of
Household Income In The Past 12 Months
(Dollars): Total: Renter-Occupied Housing
Units Paying Cash Rent -- (Estimate)
No Additional Calculations Were Performed As The Data
Were In Percentages.
No Vehicle
Access
B25044e1 Tenure By Vehicles Available: Total:
Occupied Housing Units -- (Estimate)
(B25044e3 + B25044e10) /
B25044e1
Tenure By Vehicles Available: Owner Occupied: No Vehicle Availa-
ble: Occupied Housing Units -- (Estimate) + Tenure By Vehicles
Available: Renter Occupied: No Vehicle Available: Occupied Hous-
ing Units -- (Estimate) / Tenure By Vehicles Available: Total: Occu-
pied Housing Units -- (Estimate)
Limited
English
Speakers
C16002e1 Household Language By Household Limited
English Speaking Status: Total: Households --
(Estimate)
(C16002e4 +
C16002e7 +
C16002e10 +
C16002e13) /
62
C16002e1
Household Language By Household Limited English Speaking Sta-
tus: Spanish: Limited English Speaking Household: Households --
(Estimate) + Household Language By Household Limited English
Speaking Status: Other Indo-European Languages: Limited English
Speaking Household: Households -- (Estimate) +
Household Language By Household Limited English Speaking Sta-
tus: Asian And Pacific Island Languages: Limited English Speaking
Household: Households -- (Estimate) + Household Language By
Household Limited English Speaking Status: Other Languages: Lim-
ited English Speaking Household: Households -- (Estimate) /
Household Language By Household Limited English Speaking
Status: Total: Households -- (Estimate)
Poverty B17021e1 Poverty Status Of Individuals In The Past 12
Months By Living Arrangement: Total: Population
For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined -- (Esti-
mate)
B17021e2 / B17021e1
Poverty Status Of Individuals In The Past 12 Months By Living Ar-
rangement: Income In The Past 12 Months Below Poverty Level:
Population For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined -- (Estimate) /
Poverty Status Of Individuals In The Past 12 Months By Living Ar-
rangement: Total: Population For Whom Poverty Status Is Deter-
mined -- (Estimate)
Race B02008e1,
B02009e1,
B02010e1,
B02011e1,
B02012e1
White Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races: Total: White Alone Or In
Combination With One Or More Other Races --
(Estimate)
Black Or African American Alone Or In Combina-
tion With One Or More Other Races: Total: Black
Or African American Alone Or In Combination
With One Or More Other Races -- (Estimate)
American Indian And Alaska Native Alone Or In
Combination With One Or More Other Races: To-
tal: People Who Are American Indian Or Alaska
B02009e1 + B02010e1 + B02011e1 + B02012e1 / (B02008e1 +
B02009e1 + B02010e1 + B02011e1 + B02012e1)
(Black Or African American Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races: Total: Black Or African American Alone Or In
Combination With One Or More Other Races -- (Estimate)
+
American Indian And Alaska Native Alone Or In Combination With
One Or More Other Races: Total: People Who Are American Indian
Or Alaska Native Alone Or In Combination With One Or More
Other Races -- (Estimate)
+
63
Native Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races -- (Estimate)
Asian Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races: Total: Asian Alone Or In Com-
bination With One Or More Other Races -- (Esti-
mate)
Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Alone
Or In Combination With One Or More Other
Races: Total: Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific
Islander Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races -- (Estimate)
Asian Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races: To-
tal: Asian Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races
-- (Estimate)
+
Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Alone Or In Combina-
tion With One Or More Other Races: Total: Native Hawaiian And
Other Pacific Islander Alone
Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races -- (Estimate))
/
(White Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races:
Total: White Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other
Races -- (Estimate)
+
Black Or African American Alone Or In Combination With One Or
More Other Races: Total: Black Or African American Alone Or In
Combination With One Or More Other Races -- (Estimate)
+
American Indian And Alaska Native Alone Or In Combination With
One Or More Other Races: Total: People Who Are American Indian
Or Alaska Native Alone Or In Combination With One Or More
Other Races -- (Estimate)
+
Asian Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races: To-
tal: Asian Alone Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races
-- (Estimate)
+
Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Alone Or In Combina-
tion With One Or More Other Races: Total: Native Hawaiian And
Other Pacific Islander Alone
Or In Combination With One Or More Other Races -- (Estimate))
Children
Under 5
B01001e1
B01001e3
B01001e27
SEX BY AGE: Total: Total population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: Under 5 years: Total popula-
tion -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: Under 5 years: Total popu-
lation -- (Estimate)
(B01001e3 + B01001e27) / B01001e1
64
Elderly Over
65
B01001e1
B01001e20
B01001e21
B01001e22
B01001e23
B01001e24
B01001e25
B01001e44
B01001e45
B01001e46
B01001e47
B01001e48
B01001e49
SEX BY AGE: Total: Total population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 65 and 66 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 67 to 69 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 70 to 74 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 75 to 79 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 80 to 84 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Male: 85 years and over: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 65 and 66 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 67 to 69 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 70 to 74 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 75 to 79 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 80 to 84 years: Total
population -- (Estimate)
SEX BY AGE: Female: 85 years and over:
Total population -- (Estimate)
((B01001e20 +
B01001e21 +
B01001e22 +
B01001e23 +
B01001e24 +
B01001e25)
+
(B01001e44 +
B01001e45 +
B01001e46 +
B01001e47 +
B01001e48 +
B01001e49))
/
B01001e1
((SEX BY AGE: Male: 65 and 66 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Male: 67 to 69 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Male: 70 to 74 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Male: 75 to 79 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Male: 80 to 84 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Male: 85 years and over: Total population --
(Estimate))
+
(SEX BY AGE: Female: 65 and 66 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Female: 67 to 69 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
65
SEX BY AGE: Female: 70 to 74 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Female: 75 to 79 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Female: 80 to 84 years: Total population --
(Estimate) +
SEX BY AGE: Female: 85 years and over: Total population --
(Estimate)))
/
SEX BY AGE: Total: Total population -- (Estimate)
Disability B23024e3
B23024e18
B23024e2
Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disabil-
ity Status By Employment Status For The Popula-
tion 20 To 64 Years: Income In The Past 12
Months Below Poverty Level: With A Disability:
Population 20 To 64 Years For Whom Poverty
Status Is Determined -- (Estimate)
Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disabil-
ity Status By Employment Status For The Popula-
tion 20 To 64 Years: Income In The Past 12
Months At Or Above Poverty Level: With A Disa-
bility: Population 20 To 64 Years For Whom Pov-
erty Status Is Determined -- (Estimate)
Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disabil-
ity Status By Employment Status For The Popula-
tion 20 To 64 Years: Income In The Past 12
Months Below Poverty Level: Population 20 To
64 Years For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined
-- (Estimate)
(B23024e3 + B23024e18) / B23024e2
(Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disability Status By Em-
ployment Status For The Population 20 To 64 Years: Income In The
Past 12 Months Below Poverty Level: With A Disability: Population
20 To 64 Years For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined -- (Esti-
mate)
+
Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disability Status By Em-
ployment Status For The Population 20 To 64 Years: Income In The
Past 12 Months At Or Above Poverty Level: With A Disability: Pop-
ulation 20 To 64 Years For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined --
(Estimate))
/
Poverty Status In The Past 12 Months By Disability Status By Em-
ployment Status For The Population 20 To 64 Years: Income In The
Past 12 Months Below Poverty Level: Population 20 To 64 Years
For Whom Poverty Status Is Determined -- (Estimate)
Central air conditioning data in an Excel spreadsheet format were obtained from the City of Iowa City’s Assessor Office. Non-residential properties,
such as commercial or industrial, were removed. The spreadsheet contains the property parcel number and whether the property has main air
conditioning (coded 0 for no and 1 for yes), among other characteristics. Properties with more than one building unit, such as an apartment
66
complex, are recorded multiple times in the spreadsheet. For example, 100 Main Street Apt. 1 and 100 Main Street Apt. 2 are separate entries
with the same property parcel number in the spreadsheet. Separate entries with the same property parcel number were consolidated so that only
one record exists for each property parcel number. This process of removing duplicates is to ensure that each property entry in the spreadsheet
can be joined in ArcMap to a shapefile of Johnson County parcels with the corresponding property parcel number. The Johnson County property
parcels were obtained from the University of Iowa shared GIS repository. Using ArcMap, after the Excel spreadsheet was joined to the Johnson
County property parcels, the Johnson County property parcels shapefile was spatially joined to the Iowa City census block groups. Two fields were
created during the spatial join process: one was the count of the property parcels with air conditioning and the other was the sum of the property
parcels with air conditioning. To calculate the percentage of properties without central air conditioning, first divide the sum field by the count field
and then subtract one.
The Z scores for each of the nine vulnerability indicators per Iowa City census block group were then calculated using the following equation:
𝑍 𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒=(𝑋− 𝜇)
𝜎,
where 𝑋 is the value of a vulnerability indictor of a census block group, 𝜇 is the citywide mean of a vulnerability indicator, and 𝜎 is the citywide
standard deviation of a vulnerability indicator. Transforming the vulnerability indicators into a Z score standardizes the values for visualizations
and calculations, where one standard deviation is equal to 1, two standard deviations is equal to 2, etc. (The University of Minnesota Humphrey
School of Public Affairs)
For visualization purposes, the following Python code can be used in the Field Calculator in ArcMap to classify the calculated Z scores for each
census block group into 6 categories. Each of the nine vulnerabilities can then be symbolized on the same standard scale.
Z-Score Classification
Z Score >= 2 “> 2 SD Above Mean”
Z Score >= 1 AND Z Score < 2 “1-2 SD Above Mean”
Z Score >= 0 AND Z Score < 1 “< 1 SD Above Mean”
Z Score >= -1 AND Z Score < 0 “< 1 SD Below Mean”
Z Score >= -2 AND Z Score < -1 “1-2 SB Below Mean”
Z Score < -2 “> 2 SD Below Mean”
67
1. def Reclass(input):
2. if (input >= 2):
3. return "Greater Than 2 SD Above Mean"
4. elif (input < 2 and input >= 1):
5. return "1 - 2 SD Above Mean"
6. elif (input >= 0 and input < 1):
7. return "Less Than 1 SD Above Mean"
8. elif (input >= -1 and input < 0):
9. return "Less Than 1 SD Below Mean"
10. elif (input >= -2 and input <= -1):
11. return "1 - 2 SD Below Mean"
12. elif (input < -2):
13. return "Greater Than 2 SD Below Mean"
14. else:
15. return "No Classification"
To compute the final climate change vulnerability score, the Z scores of each vulnerability indicator per census block group were reclassified
along a 1 to 6 scale with the following Python code using the Field Calculator in ArcMap. A score of 6 indicates the highest vulnerability and a
score of 1 indicates the lowest vulnerability. After the reassignment, the Field Calculator was used to sum each of reclassified census block group
score into a final climate change vulnerability score.
Z-Score Classification
Z Score >= 2 6
Z Score >= 1 AND Z Score < 2 5
Z Score >= 0 AND Z Score < 1 4
Z Score >= -1 AND Z Score < 0 3
Z Score >= -2 AND Z Score < -1 2
Z Score < -2 1
1. def Reclass(input):
2. if (input >= 2):
3. return 6
4. elif (input < 2 and input >= 1):
5. return 5
6. elif (input >= 0 and input < 1):
7. return 4
68
8. elif (input >= -1 and input < 0):
9. return 3
10. elif (input >= -2 and input <= -1):
11. return 2
12. elif (input < -2):
13. return 1
14. else:
15. return 0
There are limitations of the data sources and the methodology used to compute Iowa City’s climate change vulnerability. First, the U.S. Census
block groups do not fit neatly within the boundaries of the City of Iowa City and so they were clipped to be contained within Iowa City boundaries.
Doing so results in small portions of larger block groups that are maintained within Iowa City and they misrepresent data when symbolized as the
smaller remnants do not proportionately represent their larger whole. Second, the 2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimates contain margins of error which
were not analyzed or incorporated and could potentially affect the calculation of the vulnerability scores. Third, the air conditioning data from the
Iowa City Assessor is not complete as there are properties that may not be included or assessed for central air conditioning. Fourth, the choice of
variables from the 2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimates may not be the most accurate representation of the social vulnerability indicator at the census
block group level; additional 2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimate variables may be considered for future use. Fifthly, there is risk of double counting
certain vulnerable populations and indicators as well as confounding among correlated variables which was not teased out by principal component
analysis (The University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs).
69
Appendix: Climate Change Communication and Outreach and Engagement Resources
Suggested climate change communications training materials for the Neighborhood Climate Partners and the City-wide Climate Coordinator before
conducting climate change community engagement and outreach include the following:
• “Communicating Materials on Climate Change, Health, and Populations of Concern: Summary Points from the U.S. Climate and Health
Assessment” (U.S. EPA)
o 8 vulnerable populations
▪ Children
▪ Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns
▪ Indigenous Peoples
▪ Occupational Groups
▪ Older Adults
▪ People with Disabilities
▪ People with Existing Health Conditions
▪ Pregnant Women
• “ICLEI Resource Guide: Outreach and Communications” (ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, 2009)
• “Let’s Talk Climate: Messages to Motivate Americans” (Krygsman, Speiser, & Perkowitz, 2015)
o Especially the sections on how to communicate to minority populations, such as African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans
• “Let’s Talk Communities & Climate: Communication Guidance for City and Community Leaders” (Krygsman & Speiser, 2016)
Neighborhood Climate Partners, in addition to city-wide community organizations and Neighborhood Associations, are suggested to reference
“Ready, Set, Go! Community-Based Organizations Emergency Preparedness Toolkit” (Ahmed, et al.).
Neighborhood Climate Ambassadors are suggested to review the following materials on general climate change information, climate change
communication, and latest city government climate change actions and to adapt the resources for their specific community and neighborhood for
use in community outreach and engagement:
• General Climate Change Information
o “Ready & Resilient: A Guide to Extreme Weather for Saint Paul Residents” (Burlager & Sanders-Reed, 2014)
• Climate Change Communication
o “Let’s Talk Climate: Messages to Motivate Americans” (Krygsman, Speiser, & Perkowitz, 2015)
▪ Especially the sections on how to communicate to minority populations, such as African Americans and Hispanic/Latino
Americans
• Local Government Climate Action Updates
o Reviews of City Council resolutions, climate projections, climate action updates, and community greenhouse gas inventories (City
of Austin)
70
Suggested climate change community engagement and outreach events and activities for Neighborhood Climate Partners and the City-wide
Climate Coordinator include the following:
o Events
▪ City of Cleveland, Ohio “Cleveland Climate Fairs” (Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office of
Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015)
• An event with interactions with climate action program coordinators, opportunities to join the leadership
development program and green jobs training, and trainings on emergency response, urban agriculture, and home
weatherization. Free childcare, free transportation, and free lunch are provided.
▪ City of Baltimore, Maryland “Make a Plan. Build a Kit. Help Each Other” campaign launch (Baja, 2014)
• The campaign focused on preparing families and individuals for natural hazards and climate change events in the
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The launch of the campaign was held at the Commission on Sustainability’s
annual Town Hall event in a community vulnerable to extreme heat. Advertisement for the event was through
neighborhood group leaders, the City website, social media, and flyers around the community. Residents walked
to the meeting or were provided with free public transportation. There were three interactive components for
participants: emergency plan development, emergency kit making (hand-crank radios, flashlights with batteries,
water bladders, emergency whistles, first aid kits), and community asset and shortcomings identification.
Additional features include a “Help/Safe Card”, a piece of cardboard with the word “Help” painted in orange on
one side and “Safe” painted in green on the other side, to place in windows during emergencies to communicate
safety status. Four questions were asked before and after the event to measure the success of the event: “Do you
know what natural hazards are most likely to occur in your neighborhood?”, “Do you have an emergency plan?”,
“Do you have an emergency kit?”, “Have you taken action to help your community prepare?”. Event participants
indicated their gained knowledge through placing dots in a “yes” or “no” category for the four questions and many
left the event with an emergency plan and a kit. Health, safety, savings, and comfort were that residents were
able to connect with the most. After the initial campaign event, five more events were scheduled, and additional
events were planned.
o Mobile Events
▪ City of Escondido, California “The Mobile Community Workshop” (Ascent Environmental, Inc., 2018)
• A table display with flyers and brochures, posters, and an interactive survey. City staff may also develop a 10 to
15 minutes workshop for small groups at community events.
▪ City of Cleveland, Ohio “Cleveland Green Party Crasher Program” (Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland,
Mayor's Office of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at Buffalo; Kent State University, 2015)
• Climate ambassadors attend neighborhood celebrations and events to inform on climate change and community
resilience in a “fun and accessible way”.
71
▪ City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “Kits for Loan from the Franklin Institute” (Climate & Urban Systems Parternship)
• Mobile activity kits to simulate heavy rainfall with “Ready Row Home: Preparing for a Wetter Philadelphia” and
hotter days with “Ready Row Home: Preparing for a Hotter Philadelphia”.
The American Planning Association (APA) awarded the North Jersey Transportation Authority (NJTPA) the 2018 National Planning Achievement
Award for Public Outreach Silver award for their “Engage!” public involvement database (American Planning Association). NJTPA spent two years
to research outreach activities in planning organizations and recorded over 400 public engagement activities. The online database allows users to
filter outreach activities based on audience (such as low income, minorities, immigrants and limited English persons, children and teens, senior
citizens, and people with special needs), scope (from neighborhood to state), and timeframe (from less than one month to ongoing.
72
Appendix: Examples of Projects for Climate Action Fund
In the City of St. Paul, funding from the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments (GLISA), an organization between the University of Michigan
and Michigan State University, supported the development of climate adaptation projects from low income and historically marginalized
communities such as the following (McLaughlin, 2015):
• community networks to support those vulnerable to heat waves
• emergency kits for children and the elderly that include first aid supplies, face masks, wet wipes, hand sanitizers, flashlights, and coloring
books and markers for children
• a green newspaper to report on climate change heroes and actions to help neighbors
• vermicomposting system
• interactive displays instructing how to create emergency kits
• listening sessions with elders on their experiences with extreme weather events
• climate change adaptation curriculum at a juvenile detention center
• towers to provide habitats for chimney swifts, a bird to east mosquitos to prevent vector diseases
73
References
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
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Organizations Emergency Preparedness Toolkit. Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS); Bloomington Public
Health. Retrieved from https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/sites/default/files/media/cover_acknowledgments_toc_preface.pdf
American Planning Association. (n.d.). National Planning Achievement Awards 2018. Retrieved from American Planning Association:
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Ascent Environmental, Inc. (2018). Community Outreach Plan for the Climate Action Plan Update. City of Escondido. Retrieved f rom
https://www.escondido.org/Data/Sites/1/media/PDFs/Planning/ClimateActionPlan/CAPUpdate/EscondidoCAP_CommunityOutreachPlan_FINAL
.pdf
Baja, K. (2014, August 07). Building community conversations around preparedness in Baltimore. Retrieved from Climate Access:
https://climateaccess.org/blog/building-community-conversations-around-preparedness-baltimore
Burlager, S., & Sanders-Reed, A. (2014). Ready & Resilient: A Guide to Extreme Weather for Saint Paul Residents. Macalester College, the Science
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74
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at
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content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Implementation-Plan_CNP2.pdf
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08/ecoAmerica%20Lets%20Talk%20Communities%20and%20Climate%20NLC%208.2.pdf
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the-city/
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U.S. EPA. (n.d.). Communication Materials on Climate Change, Health, and Populations of Concern: Summary Points from the U.S. Climate and
Health Assessment. Retrieved from https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-
10/populationsofconcern_communications_materials.docx
75
hmed, H., Brodsky, L., Drews, M., Gieseke, J., Henslee, K., Kafumbe, N., . . . Schweizer, M. (n.d.). Ready, Set, Go! Community-Based Organizations
Emergency Preparedness Toolkit. Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS); Bloomington Public Health. Retrieved
from https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/sites/default/files/media/cover_acknowledgments_toc_preface.pdf
American Planning Association. (n.d.). National Planning Achievement Awards 2018. Retrieved from American Planning Association:
https://www.planning.org/awards/2018/achievement/
Ascent Environmental, Inc. (2018). Community Outreach Plan for the Climate Action Plan Update. City of Escondido. Retrieved f rom
https://www.escondido.org/Data/Sites/1/media/PDFs/Planning/ClimateActionPlan/CAPUpdate/EscondidoCAP_CommunityOutreachPlan_FINAL
.pdf
Baja, K. (2014, August 07). Building community conversations around preparedness in Baltimore. Retrieved from Climate Access:
https://climateaccess.org/blog/building-community-conversations-around-preparedness-baltimore
Burlager, S., & Sanders-Reed, A. (2014). Ready & Resilient: A Guide to Extreme Weather for Saint Paul Residents. Macalester College, the Science
Museum of Minnesota, City of St. Paul. Retrieved from https://www.macalester.edu/readyandresilient/resources/ReadyandResilientPrimer.pdf
City of Austin. (n.d.). Community and Outreach Plan. Retrieved from https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Attachment_A_-
_ACCP_Communications_and_Outreach_Plan.pdf
City of Cleveland. (n.d.). Neighborhood Climate Action Toolkit: An Assets-Based Approach to Building Thriving and Healthy Neighborhoods in
Cleveland. Retrieved from
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N_TOOLKIT-FINAL.pdf?1462888931
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http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/health/preparedness/climate
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http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/climate-prep/vulnerability-assessment
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress; City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office of Sustainability; Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative; University at
Buffalo; Kent State University. (2015). Cleveland Climate Resilience & Urban Opportunity Plan. Retrieved from http://www.clevelandnp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Implementation-Plan_CNP2.pdf
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76
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08/ecoAmerica%20Lets%20Talk%20Communities%20and%20Climate%20NLC%208.2.pdf
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the-city/
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