Planning: CRISES: Center for Urban Climate Adaptation Solutions

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Cities concentrate people, wealth, and infrastructure, and, as a result, cities concentrate vulnerability to the growing risks posed by climate change. People who are already socially and/or economically marginalized, such as members of communities of color, families living in poverty, and the elderly, are particularly vulnerable to climate risks. In many cities, this is compounded by rising income inequality and unequal access to urban infrastructure and services. While researchers and city leaders are increasingly aware of the need to build more climate resilient cities, the project focuses on building collaborative relationships and the preparatory work to propose a new Center for Urban Climate Adaptation Solutions (CUCAS), which brings together urban experts in multiple disciplines and institutions, works closely with civil society and public sector stakeholders, and uses New York City as the project’s urban laboratory. The significance of the new Center is in its inclusive, holistic, transdisciplinary, and deeply engaged approach to the complexity of understanding climate change hazards as well as a platform where citizens actively participate in shaping responses to climate change. Cities are increasingly experiencing the effects of climate change impacts, such as rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and sea-level rise, as well as extreme weather events. The project inventories existing data and data needs, maps civil society and institutional capacities, and conducts a needs assessment in three core research areas: 1) a citywide spatial assessment of multi-hazard climate change risks from coastal and pluvial flooding, extreme heat, and air quality; 2) a citywide assessment of socioeconomic factors that affect climate vulnerabilities, as well as civic and public capacities to respond to climate change; and 3) an exploration of the potential for new urban data technologies to support more efficient and equitable climate change responses. By combining diverse sources of data and knowledge, including collaboration with civil society partners, the project explores if it is possible to co-design more effective, contextually appropriate responses to climate change hazards. Based on the work in these three research areas, the project conceptualizes a new Center for Urban Climate Adaptation Solutions (CUCAS), to serve as a critical research and knowledge hub for New York City, other U.S. cities, and beyond, as well as to act as a training center for the next generation of urban climate change researchers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.