Say, How Can Cities Adapt To The Climate Crisis (scam)?

Can you guess what’s coming?

How cities can adapt to climate change without starting over

Local governments make infrastructure decisions all the time – rebuilding roads, expanding housing, and updating public services. A new proposal argues those everyday choices could also become some of the most effective climate actions communities have.

Instead of treating climate adaptation and emissions cuts as separate goals, the approach urges cities to link them.

By “urge” they mean force

The pitch starts with a reality check. Many cities aren’t planning for climate change as a distant possibility. They’re already responding to it.

They’re dealing with storms, flooding, heat, and shifting population patterns that force practical decisions about where people live and what infrastructure can handle.

“Local governments are already dealing with the impacts of climate change,” said Christopher Galik, a professor of public administration at NC State.

“There are more extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and flooding, which force municipalities to make decisions about how, where, and – in some cases – whether to rebuild.”

First, there aren’t more. However, because of expansion with poor planning it looks like more. Streets, sewers, etc, that are not set up for the number of buildings and cars. Instead of putting in some single family homes they build massive apartment and townhouse complexes. There is no way for the normal rain to run-off correctly, so, you get flooding. Clearcut properties, all the concrete and paving instead of ground. Tiny young trees replacing old growth. Giant factories, storehouses, and so forth, all jammed in. Limited roads. We have a big problem in the South with this where growth radiates out from the center in a circle, limiting primary and secondary roads. It’s the problem of land use. I’ve seen floods where I never saw them before because of new apartment complexes. Anyhow

The power of forced decisions
Municipal change is rarely easy, even when it’s clearly needed. Updating zoning or construction requirements can trigger fierce debates, and it often costs money up front.

The paper argues that climate disruption, ironically, can create windows where change becomes more realistic because the alternative is rebuilding the same vulnerabilities again.

“Instituting new policies and regulations that govern zoning, construction requirements, and so on, can be expensive and politically challenging,” Sanchez said.

“But if communities are already having to build or rebuild in response to climate change, implementing compound resilience policies may be more feasible.”

In other words, you will comply, Comrades. Like it or not, you will comply. It all sounds so non-authoritative, but, that is what they want: total governmental control.