Resilient Midwestern Cities: Improving Equity in a Changing Climate

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Resilient Midwestern Cities

Improving Equity in a Changing Climate

By Cathleen Kelly, Miranda Peterson, Erin Auel, Gwynne Taraska, and Philine Qian April 2016

WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.O


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Resilient Midwestern Cities

Improving Equity in a Changing Climate

By Cathleen Kelly, Miranda Peterson, Erin Auel,

Gwynne Taraska, and Philine Qian

April 2016


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1 Introduction and summary

3 The Midwestern reality: Resilient and equitable

communities are key for cities to thrive in a

changing climate

6 City case studies

18 Recommendations

23 Conclusion

24 About the authors

27 Endnotes

Contents


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1 Center for American Progress | Resilient Midwestern Cities

Introduction and summary

Te Midwes is known as America’s hearland and breadbaske, home o he

Grea Lakes. Despie he consancy o hese iconic images, however, ciies

across he naion’s cenral region are adjusing o a new normal: more requen

and inense sorms; heavy downpours; hea waves; and cold snaps. Tese

dangerous effecs o climae change hi hardes in low-income communiies and

communiies o color, where residens conron daily he sympoms o hisoric

inequiies. Tese sympoms include economic insabiliy as well as poor-qualiy

housing, which is il l-equipped o weaher saely severe sorms, exended periodso sifling hea, and reezing emperaures.

Faced wih growing risks o flooding, hea-relaed deahs, and poor air and waer

qualiy; skyrockeing energy bills; and cosly damage o homes and inrasruc-

ure, some Midwesern ciy officials and communiy advocaes are aking seps

o improve heir ciies’ resilience o he effecs o climae change. For example,

ciies such as Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chicago; Cleveland; S. Paul, Minnesoa; and

oledo, Ohio, are implemening sraegies such as insalling green inrasrucure;

upgrading aging waer, elecric grid, and public ransporaion inrasrucure;

supporing home energy efficiency and weaherizaion; and srenghening com-

muniy engagemen and social cohesion. For many ciies, building communiy

resilience o climae change and oher shocks is simply effecive and efficien plan-

ning o mee communiy-specific needs.

Sill, he financial burden o reducing climae change risks can be crushing or

cash-srapped ciies already sruggling o modernize crumbling inrasrucure and

o improve he qualiy o ciy services. Under he srain o igh budges, urban

susainabiliy and resilience programs in he region are ofen underunded, and

hey are someimes designed by ciy and sae officials wihou adequae inpurom communiy members or advocaes.

Tis repor includes case sudies on how five ciiesAnn Arbor, Chicago,

Cleveland, S. Paul, and oledoare building resilience o climae change in low-

income areas. Tese case sudies reveal ha reducing he risks o climae change

in he region’s disadvanaged areas will require cooperaion among many groups.


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Midwesern ciy officials, sae and ederal policymakers, and communiy groups

mus work ogeher o build upon ongoing social jusice effors o improve access

o qualiy housing, inrasrucure, and jobs; o promoe equiy and inclusiviy; and

o build rus beween communiy members and governmen officials. Tese lead-

ers also mus connec resilience iniiaives o relaed environmenal jusice iniia-

ives and oher communiy prioriies, such as proecing public healh and saey,improving air and waer qualiy, and preserving local culure and hisory. Based on

he findings rom hese case sudies, his repor recommends ha policymakers:

• Ensure meaningul communiy engagemen in designing resilience programs,

parnerships, and policies, and improve public awareness o climae change risks

and effecs• Assess he vulnerabiliy o low-income communiies o climae change and

oher environmenal hreas• Improve he energy efficiency and weaherizaion o homes o reduce energy

coss and carbon polluion• Expand access o disribued solar energy in low-income communiies in order

o lower energy bills and carbon polluion levels• Improve access o public ransporaion and bike-share programs o increase

mobiliy and cu carbon polluion• Plan more rees, communiy gardens, and oher green inrasrucure o reduce

flood, urban hea island, and waer polluion risks• Srenghen social cohesion and neworks o increase suppor during exreme

weaher evens• Leverage Communiy Developmen Block Grans rom he U.S. Deparmen

o Housing and Urban Developmen o inves in resilien and equiable

communiies• Recognize and suppor resilience and social jusice leadership

By supporing hese principles and acionsas well as effors o curb lead con-

aminaion, improve emergency managemen services, and creae green jobs in

low-income communiies and communiies o colorpolicymakers and com-

muniy leaders can help ensure a sae, healhy, and prosperous uure or all people

living in he Midwes region.


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The Midwestern reality: Resilient and

equitable communities are key for

cities to thrive in a changing climate

Te hreas o climae change o U.S. coasal areasrom sea level rise o more

requen and severe sorms such as hurricanes Sandy and Karinaare ofen he

ocus o he media, policymakers, and advocaes seeking climae change soluions.

Alhough ar rom he counry’s salwaer coass, he Midwes also is hreaened

by climae change and is among he regions mos vulnerable o climae change

effecs such as more exreme hea, heavy downpours, and flooding. Tese effecsare puting inrasrucure, public healh, and air and waer qualiy in he region a

risk. For differen Midwesern ciies, climae change creaes or exacerbaes disinc

ses o challenges. For his reason, when sudied collecively, Midwesern ciies

offer insigh ino a diverse array o sraegies o improve urban equiy and climae

change resilience. Tis secion explores he socio-economic challenges, climae

change hreas, and ypes o resilience sraegies ha ciy and communiy leaders

are using in areas ha are hi hardes by he sympoms o a warming world.

Low-income communities and

communities of color in the Midwest

Te six Midwesern Grea Lakes saesIllinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesoa,

Ohio, and Wisconsincomprise one o he mos populous regions in he

counry. Approximaely 52.2 million people1one-fifh o he American popula-

ionreside here. All six o hese saes also rank wihin he op 20 or gross sae

produc, or GSP,2 oupus due o he srengh o heir agriculural, auomoive,

energy, aerospace, and ransporaion secors.3

However, dispariies run deep in he region. More han one-quarer o people

o color in Grea Lake saes live wih financial insabiliywih povery raes a

27.5 percen or Arican Americans and 25.3 percen or Hispanicscompared

wih he 9.8 percen o non-Hispanic whies living below he ederal povery line.4


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While he average unemploymen rae in he Grea Lakes saes is 4.6 percen,5

Arican American unemploymen is more han double ha a 10.2 percen.6 Te

region was heavily affeced by he 2008 economic crisis, which saw a rapid rise

in home oreclosures and he number o high-povery neighborhoods compared

wih oher regions, especially wihin communiies o color. Since 2000, here

has been a 16.3 percen increase in he number o Midwesern Arican Americanresidens living in areas o concenraed povery and a 10.3 percen increase or

Hispanic residens, many o whom are reners.7

Wha’s more, oxins and oher conaminans are more prevalen in low-income

communiies and communiies o color: Te curren lead crisis affecing Flin,

Michigan’s, drinking waer is a sark example o his injusice. Beyond Flin,

Cleveland and Chicago have he mos serious lead poisoning cases in Midwesern

ciies. Foureen percen o children in Cleveland have elevaed lead levels, mainly

due o he persisence o lead pain in old buildings.8

Tese significan problems, in addiion o oher challenges acing low-income

neighborhoodsolder housing and inrasrucure, income dispariies, poor pub-

lic healh, high crime raes, ailing schools, and ewer jobsofen perpeuae and

enrench povery across generaions.9

Climate risks in the Midwest

People across he Midwes region are experiencing he high coss o climae change

and exreme weaher. Beween 2010 and 2015, 36 percen o U.S. exreme weaher

evens ha caused more han $1 billion in damage occurred in he Grea Lakes saes.10

Annual average emperaures in he Midwes have increased significanly over he

pas cenury, rising more han 1.5 degrees Fahrenhei since 1900. Recen yearly aver-

ages have increased even more sharply; beween 1980 and 2010, warming raes were

hree imes hose beween 1900 and 2010.11 More hea waves in he region are wors-

ening air qualiy, hreaening public healh, and increasing moraliy, paricularly in

low-income communiies, which experience higher raes o ashma.12

In he winer, he region is prone o cold snaps, or brie periods o exreme cold and

biing wind chills. A growing body o climae science sudies indicae ha rapid

warming in he Arcic is slowing down he je sream, which ypically prevens icy

Arcic air rom leaking down o lower laiudes;13 coninued warming could increase

he requency o hese cold snaps.14 In 2014, a slower and more slack je sream

brough rigid air down ino he Midwes and Norheas regions o he Unied


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Saes, causing he so-called polar vorex and seting local record lows across he

region, including -25 degrees Fahrenhei and -17 degrees Fahrenhei in Flin and

Cleveland, respecively.15 During he polar vorex, wholesale elecriciy prices in

pars o he Midwes nearly ripled,16 causing financial burdens, paricularly or low-

income people.17 Tose who canno afford o pay or increased heaing coss or or

energy efficiency soluions are orced o endure he cold or, worse, o move.

Te Midwes’s warmer monhs bring regular precipiaion wih occasional heavy

downpours ha flood homes and businesses and overwhelm sewage sysems.

According o he 2015 Naional Climae Assessmen, or NCA, precipiaion

evens will become less requen bu more inense as he climae changes.18 Heavy

downpours hreaen public healh and saey, paricularly in ciies wih large

expanses o impervious suraces such as roads and parking los. As rain flows ino

already srained drainage sysems, sewage sysems overflow ino basemens, lakes,

rivers, and sreams, damaging ecosysems, polluing drinking waer, and puting

public healh a risk.19 According o he U.S. Army Corps o Engineers, he GreaLakes saes are in need o approximaely $119 billion in upgrades o oudaed

drinking waer and wasewaer inrasrucure.20

Midwestern climate resilience

Low-income ciy residens in he Midwes are already eeling he disproporion-

ae risks o climae change effecs ha come wih financial insabiliy, poor-qualiy

housing and inrasrucure, and minimal access o criical services, including home

upgrade and disaser recovery programs ha avor homeowners over enans.21 o

reduce he healh and economic risks o climae change in all communiies, and espe-

cially in low-income areas and communiies o color, Midwesern ciies mus become

more resilien and equiable. According o Chicago’s Chie Susainabiliy Officer

and Senior Policy Advisor Chris Whea, “Ciies like Chicago have been working on

resilience or decades, bu i wasn’ always called ha. Resilience is jus par o smar

and equiable planning.”22 Increasingly, ciy and communiy leaders define com-

muniy resilience as acion ha creaes opporuniies or communiies o “bounce

orward”ha is o say, o become more susainable and prepared o mee he chal-

lenges and risks o exreme weaher and economic opporuniies o he 21s cenury.23

As he case sudies in his repor reveal, climae resilience iniiaives look some-

wha differen across ciies and saes in he Midwes region. Bu he mos effecive

programs and policiesas demonsraed in his reporpromoe social jusice

and inclusive economic growh and are designed and implemened wih meaning-

ul engagemen o communiy members and groups.


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City case studies

In he Midwes, several ciies sand ou as leaders, aking innovaive seps o

reduce climae change risks and o increase access o jobs, cleaner air, and waer

in low-income areas and communiies o color. For example, Ann Arbor, Chicago,

Cleveland, S. Paul, and oledo are implemening a range o projecs and iniia-

ives o improve communiy equiy and resilience, rom green inrasrucure and

home energy efficiency o waer, elecric grid, and public ransi inrasrucure

upgrades. Tese and oher resilience iniiaives by hese five Midwesern ciies are

described below.

Ann Arbor: Building resilient communities

through public housing and transit

Alhough Ann Arbor, Michigan, lacks he disressed communiies ound in nearby

Deroi, i has an approach o ciy planning ha is mindul o he dual needs o

build susainabiliy and address he mos pressing needs o low-income com-

muniies. “Te ciy developed is “Susainabiliy Framework” in 2013a se o

16 overarching goals ha he Ciy Council adoped as an elemen o is ‘Maser

Plan’and equiy is buil ino each o hese goals,” says Mathew Naud, he ciy’s

environmenal coordinaor.24 Tis holisic approach o ciy planning is eviden in

Ann Arbor’s curren iniiaives o provide equiable access o public ransi and

access o sae, healhy, and affordable housing.

Efficient and affordable housing

Energy efficiency is a key ool o help Ann Arbor reduce is greenhouse gas emis-sions, given ha buildings accoun or a significan share77 perceno is oal

emissions and ha energy efficiency improvemens lower energy use.25 Bu energy

efficiency improvemens are also inegral o low-income communiy resilience,

given ha hey lower energy coss while simulaneously proecing agains he

wors effecs o exreme hea and cold.26


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Te Ann Arbor Housing Commission is currenly engaged in a high-efficiency

overhaul o is enire porolio o 18 public housing sies hrough renovaion

or rebuilding, according o Jennier Hall, is execuive direcor.27 Among he

improvemens are efficien lighing and appliances, efficien heaing and cooling

equipmen, waer conservaion devices, insulaion, and air sealing. A he end o

he projec, he commission expecs o have 418 energy efficien aparmens.28

o lower energy coss urher and promoe susainabiliy, in Sepember 2015, he

Ann Arbor Housing Commission compleed a 42-kilowat solar array on is larg-

es propery, Miller Manor.29 Te solar power sysem, which spans approximaely

10,000 square ee o roo space, is expeced o generae enough elecriciy o cover

common-area usage, or 8 percen o 10 percen o he oal elecriciy needs or more

han 100 aparmens.30 Te commission now aims o raise unds or solar arrays in

hree new consrucion projecs o cover common-space energy use and more.

Te efficien and affordable housing iniiaive has healh benefis as well, noes Jason Bing, healhy buildings direcor a he Ecology Cener, a nonprofi ha is

parnering wih he housing commission. “Te projec has aimed o reduce or

eliminae oxiciy and proec enans wih beter maerials,” he says.31 Hall noes

ha avoiding oxic maerials and improving venilaion are o paricular impor-

ance given ha Ann Arbor’s public housing serves many people, such as elderly

residens, who end o spend more ime a home.32 Te commission also has

communiy spaces a wo o is aparmen siesand is building a hirdha can

serve as emergency ceners during imes o exreme weaher.33

Sustainable and equitable transit

Limied public ransi is an acue problem in low-income communiies: Resriced

access o docors’ offices, grocery sores, pharmacies, and places o employmen has

adverse healh and economic effecs. A major iniiaive is hereore underway in he

Ann Arbor area o increase equiable access o public ransi. Alhough bus service

has been widely accessible in he ciy o Ann Arbor isel, he neighboring ciy o

Ypsilaniwhich is less economically prosperoushas had more limied service,

including limied nigh and weekend service.34

Public ransi improvemens no onlysrenghen low-income communiies and conribue o social jusice bu also dove-

ail wih climae effors hrough air qualiy benefis and reducions in greenhouse gas

emissions, insoar as privae cars creae more air and carbon polluion.


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Te Ann Arbor Area ransporaion Auhoriy, or AAAA, proposed a ransi mill-

age o generae more han $4 million or a five-year ransi improvemen program

and bus service expansion.35 Ann Arbor, Ypsilani, and Ypsilani ownship voers

approved he millage in 2014. “We’re increasing service by 44 percen, and a lo o

ha increase will be going o he Ypsilani area o boos heir ransi o an appropri-

ae level,” says Sarah Pressprich Gryniewicz, a business analys wih he AAAA.36

Te iniiaive will conribue o meeing local climae acion plan goals o

enhance public ransi and provide ransi wihin a quarer-mile o every house-

hold in Ann Arbor.37 Te AAAA also is seeking o reduce is carbon ooprin,

and i compleed a susainabiliy plan wih emissions reducion arges or 2030

and 2050 in Ocober 2015.38

Chicago: Building a more resilient and equitable city

Chicago is a ciy defined by conras. A mere 15-minue drive separaes high-

end lake side neighborhoods rom he ciy ’s poores communiies. Te 22.6

percen o Chicagoans living below he ederal povery line cope daily wih high

crime raes, ailing schools, high unemploymen, and limied access o healhy

ood and oher essenial services.39

As average emperaures rise, expers sugges ha Chicago’s hea waves and

heavy rainallhe ciy’s wo leading climae change risksare becoming more

requen and inense.40 Te disproporionaely worse effecs o hea exhausion

and flooding in Chicago’s low-income areas are alarmingly eviden: During a

deadly 1995 hea wave, 739 individuals died rom hea-relaed causes, mainly in

he ciy ’s poores neighborhoods o Englewood, Fuller Park, and Roseland.41 In

low-income areas, poorly buil homes are no well-insulaed and ofen lack air

condiioning, making hea waves and exended cold snaps painul and danger-

ous, driving up heaing and cooling coss or hose who do have air condiion-

ing, and sraining already igh household budges.

Chicago relies heavily on he ciy’s 120-year-old sewer sysem, which can cause

flooding during rain sorms and may cause sewage-inused flood waers o seepino srees and basemens.42 Addiionally, many neighborhoods, paricularly in

low-income areas, are heavily paved, wih roads, parking los, and asphal ha

radiae he sun’s hea and preven he ground rom absorbing rainall, exacerbaing

hea and flood risks.43


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Chicago’s sustainability and resilience agenda

In 2012, Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) launched he Susainable Chicago 2015

Acion Agenda, which commited he ciy o a number o acions, including

planing and expanding urban parks and gardens, improving energy efficiency

and access o clean energy, and supporing ransi-oriened developmen.44

Sincehe agenda’s launch, he ciy has rebuil or reurbished 225 parks and has insalled

oher green inrasrucure o help reduce he growing risks o floods and hea

waves.45 On severely ho days, Chicago acivaes is six cooling cenersair-condi-

ioned aciliies where residens can find relie rom exreme heawhich people

can locae by calling 311.46 Te ciy also has doubled is invesmen in waer inra-

srucure, spending more han $250 million annually since 2015 o expand and

modernize he sewer nework.47 In April 2016, he ciy o Chicago hired a chie

resilience officer o oversee and srenghen is resilience planning effors.48

In 2014, Bicycling magazine raed he Windy Ciy he second-bes cyclingmeropolis in America because o is highly successul Divvy bike-share pro-

gramwhich is quickly expanding o low-income areasand because o

Mayor Emanuel’s plan, iniiaed in 2011 when he ook office, o build 100 miles

o proeced bike lanes by 2015.49 In July 2015, Chicago cu he annual Divvy

membership ee rom $75 o $5 or residens who do no have a credi card or

debi card and who earn less han $35,000 each year.50

Larice Williams, direcor o garden iniiaives a he Urban Juncure

Foundaion, is leading communiy-based resilience and equiy effors in he

Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago’s Souh Side. From communiy gardens

o bike programs, a roo op arm, rain barrel workshops, and healhy cooking

demonsraions, Williams is supporing local iniiaives ha build on he neigh-

borhood’s rich Arican American hisory o ar, culure, and hriving local busi-

nesses. Tese iniiaives also lower carbon polluion, improve air qualiy, figh

ood desersor areas ha lack grocery sores, armers markes, and healhy

ood providersreduce flood risks, and promoe healhy living.51

Te Cener or Neighborhood echnology also leads an innovaive iniiaive

o help communiies beter weaher more requen floods and droughs. Tecener’s RainReady program works wih residens o coordinae home building,

plumbing, and landscaping upgrades and o insall permeable pavemen, smar

waer meers, and rain sensors.52


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‘Meet the people where they are’

In a warming world, exreme weaher risks and inormaion abou hese risks are

no evenly shared. According o Williams, “Te unequal disribuion o resources

and inormaion needed o reduce climae change risks leaves low-income com-

muniies more vulnerable. Te digial divide plays ino his: Inormaion may beavailable online bu no a schools, churches, or communiy ceners.” o fix his,

Williams says, “You need o mee he people where hey are.”53

In 2013, he Chicago-based Insiue o Culural Affairs in he USA, or ICA,

launched he Chicago Susainabiliy Leaders Nework, or CSLN, o connec he

ciy’s communiy grassroos leaders o share resources and suppor collabora-

ion.54 According o Seva Gandhi, program direcor a he ICA, he nework has

engaged roughly 150 communiy groups aiming o creae more inclusive, jus,

and susainable communiies.55

In 2015, he CSLN developed five principles or ciy susainabiliy programs,

parnerships, and policies: prioriize equiy and inclusiviy; ensure meaningul

communiy engagemen; conserve communiy hisory and culure; advocae or

public space; and creae collaboraion and ciywide connecion.56

“Te ciy o Chicago has a hisory o op-down decision-making,” Gandhi

says.57 Chicago will begin o develop a new susainabiliy plan his summer, and

Gandhi hopes ha he ciy will embrace he CSLN’s five principles and lisen o

communiy groups in he process.58

Some o Chicago’s mos creaive susainabiliy, resilience, and equiy sraegies

come rom low-income communiies. “We have ound ha communiy groups in

Chicago’s [low-income] Souh and Wes Sides are spearheading some o he mos

innovaive susainabiliy approaches by undersanding ha climae change is com-

plex, par and parcel o many oher challenges communiies ace,” Gandhi says.

“You can’ alk abou environmenal jusice wihou alking abou social jusice,

and we have ound some o he mos impacul projecs are hose aking his ype

o holisic approach o change-making in communiies.”59


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Cleveland: Neighborhood-led resilience

Te ciy o Cleveland aces povery rivaled in he Unied Saes only by Deroi:

More han one-hird o is oal residens and hal o all is children live in pov-

ery.60 Mindul o he ac ha climae change disproporionaely harms com-

muniies wih exising economic and social hardships, Cleveland has ocused oniniiaives ha address he mos pressing needs o challenged communiies while

also building climae resilience.61

Cleveland is rich in disincive neighborhoods, each wih is own hisory and

characer. Building on his exising srengh, he ciy has developed a progressive,

communiy-cenric approach o low-income climae resilience ha is eviden in is

plans and is many green-space iniiaives.

Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity Plan: A bottom-up approach

Te Cleveland Climae Resilience and Urban Opporuniy Plan includes a range

o ideas o build low-income resilience, including argeed energy efficiency

and sormwaer managemen programs.62 Led by he non-profi Cleveland

Neighborhood Progress in collaboraion wih he ciy o Cleveland, Ken Sae

Universiy, Environmenal Healh Wach, and he Universiy a Buffalo, he plan

ocuses on our represenaive Cleveland neighborhoods, including boh dis-

ressed and economically diverse communiies.63

Raher han dicaing climae policies, he plan aims o suppor neighborhood-led

soluions. “Te model is botom up insead o op down, wih a ocus on social

cohesion,” says Mathew Gray, direcor o he Cleveland Office o Susainabiliy.64

o implemen his botom-up model, he iniiaive is raining neighborhood

members in climae science and he local effecs o climae changeincluding

he effecs on public healh and waer qualiyso ha hey may serve as climae

ambassadors who work wih neighborhoods o ideniy he projecs ha bes

respond o local needs. “Tis approach allows us o pinpoin he realiy o com-

muniy challenges and o organize resources accordingly,” says erry Schwarz,

direcor o he Cleveland Urban Design Collaboraive a Ken Sae Universiy.“We ask abou energy bills and abou ashmaabou he way ha climae change

maniess in peoples’ lives.”65 Te plan was compleed in 2015; implemenaion

began in January 2016 and will run hrough 2018.66


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Cultivating green spaces: Urban tree canopy and urban agriculture

Alhough known as “Te Fores Ciy,” Cleveland has los hal o is sree rees since

he 1940s and loses nearly 100 acres o ree canopy annually, due o a variey o ac-

ors including developmen, pess, and disease.67 Tis is a paricular problem rom

he perspecive o low-income resilience, given ha rees help improve air qualiyand respiraory healh; increase propery values; counerac high hea, wih benefis

or healh and energy coss; and reduce flooding by absorbing rainwaer.68

In order o reverse he rend o ree loss, he ciy has parnered wih a number

o organizaions o creae he Cleveland ree Plan, which was adoped by he

Cleveland Ciy Planning Commission in early March 2016.69 “Te ree plan has

a srong ocus on he equiable disribuion o canopy,” says Gray.70 In order o

maximize he socio-economic and environmenal benefis o canopy resoraion,

he plan includes an equiy index by neighborhood so ha communiies wih he

mos need can be prioriized.71

A second ace o he green-space movemen in Cleveland is is srong record o

urban agriculure. Tere are now more han 300 communiy gardens and urban

arms in he ciy, which has muliple benefis or low-income resilience.72 Tese

iniiaives can ransorm vacan los, promoe access o healhy ood, reduce hea

hrough he replacemen o pavemen wih vegeaion, and promoe economic

developmen by atracing businesses and even providing employmen.

Te Urban Agriculure Innovaion Zone in he Kinsman neighborhood, or

example, has creaed an inner-ciy agriculural disric rom more han 20 acres

o previously vacan land.73 Wihin his disric are iniiaives including Kinsman

Farm, an incubaor arm ha provides land o gardeners learning o arm a scale,

and he Rid-All Green Parnership, an urban arm wih an educaion program ha

produces vegeables and ilapia.74 Chaeau Hough, named or he Hough neigh-

borhood, is an inner-ciy vineyard wih nearly 300 vines ha was developed wih

suppor rom Reimagining Cleveland, an iniiaive o ransorm vacan los.75

St. Paul: Designing resilience strategieswhere it counts—in the community

In he lower 48 saes, chilly Minnesoa holds he record or ases-warming win-

ers.76 Te sae’s amous 10,000 lakes remain uncovered by ice or longer sreches

each year, and Minnesoa has been hi by a growing number o damaging sorms,

summer hea waves, and reacherous subzero cold snaps.77


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Alhough Minnesoa has some o he lowes povery and unemploymen raes in

he counry, he Minneapolis-S. Paul meropolian region has one o he larg-

es income gaps beween whies and people o color in he Unied Saes, wih

he larges concenraion o racial economic dispariy in S Paul.78 In low-income

communiies such as he Frogown neighborhood, air condiioning or many is an

unaffordable luxury, and he aging and poorly buil housing is ofen no insulaedo keep ou he cold on biter days.79

Te ciy o S. Paul is aking seps o reduce he risks o climae change o is resi-

dens, including in low-income areas and communiies o color. S. Paul has a long

hisory o climae acion ha daes back o he early 1990s.80 Te ciy is currenly

in he process o ormulaing an inclusive climae acion plan and is planning and

implemening iniiaives o build resilience and cu carbon polluion hrough

smar ransporaion, ood, energy, and waer policy.81

In 2015, S. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (D) launched he Susainable Sain Paul Awards o recognize ciizens, businesses, and communiy groups who are working

o make S. Paul more environmenally riendly and livable.82 Honorees included

eens rom Frogown, who conduced ocus groups on barriers o walking and bik-

ing in heir neighborhood; he Face o Face program, which organizes wilderness

experiences or a-risk youh ha qualiy as credis or high school graduaion; and

Payne Phalen Pocke Parks, a grassroos program o urn he space around vacan

los and oreclosed properies ino communiy gardens and public ar spaces.

Even in a orward-leaning ciy such as S. Paul, Chrisie Manning, visiing assis-

an proessor in he Environmenal Sudies and Psychology deparmens a

Macaleser College,83 says ha meaningul public engagemen on climae change

policy developmen and planning can be a challenge. “Geting people o show up

who already care is easy,” Manning says. “I’s reaching he people who don’ know

[he risks o climae change o heir communiies] ha is hard.”84

In an effor o change his dynamic, he S. Paul Mayor’s Office, Macaleser College,

and he Science Museum o Minnesoa launched he hree-year Communiy

Climae Change Conversaions projec in 2013 o suppor public educaion and

resilience capaciy building in our S. Paul disrics wih low-income communiies.85

Several individuals rom each communiy voluneered as communiy parners

or he projec and helped build inroads o neighborhoods by personally inviing

communiy members o he workshops. Te workshops also provided child care,

meals, and a $50 sipend or workshop paricipans o encourage paricipaion.86

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Paricipans were given a primer on climae change risks o heir communiies

and he ciy as a whole. Tey hen discussed how climae change affecs hem

personally and he imporance o social cohesion o reduce climae change risks o

vulnerable communiy members, including he elderly.87 According o Manning,

workshop paricipans “were very concerned abou he social jusice aspecs o

climae change. Ta became clear.”88

Workshop paricipans also were invied o a lisening session wih Mayor

Coleman and oher ciy leaders o share heir perspecives on heir communiies’

climae vulnerabiliies and resilience needs.89

In 2015, he projec provided grans beween $500 and $2,500 o paricipans o

implemen resilience and susainabiliy sraegies ha hey helped develop during

he workshops, including holding more climae educaion sessions o engage more

communiy members; environmenal jusice classes or a-risk youh; a neighbor-

hood environmenal newspaper; and projecs o srenghen communiy neworkso help people ge he suppor hey need during exreme weaher evens.90

Manning described he projec as having “a relaively small budge” bu a big pay-

ou or collaboraing wih communiies and engaging residens o build resilience

and susainabiliy sraegies rom he botom up.91 Manning added ha “i was

very encouraging ha social neworks and a sense o communiy were seen as so

key o acing unpredicable imes. People a our meeings came o ha conclusion

on heir own.”92

Toledo: Cl imate change brings water management

to the forefront of city planning

Wha do you do when 400,000 people lose heir access o clean waer?93 Ta was

he emergency acing ciy officials in oledo, Ohio, or wo days in Augus 2014

afer a oxic algal bloom setled righ over he ciy’s waer inake pipes in Lake

Erie.94 Ciy officials se up ree waer disribuion ceners in communiies across

oledo.95 Wihou a quick response o he emergency rom he ciy, he nearly

30 percen o he ciy ’s residens living in and on he edge o povery would have been hi hard by he crisis.


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Kaie Rousseau, direcor o clean waer supply or he Grea Lakes a American

Rivers, has seen firshand ha waer incidens can affec oledoans unequally.

“Te Ciy did a grea job o disribuing ree waer o everyone,” Rousseau said,

“bu people know his can happen again a any ime. I walk around my neighbor-

hood and here are garages ull o waer jus in case anoher crisis happens. I can’

imagine no being able o afford o save a ew exra botles o waer or my amilyo drink or mix baby ormula wih [during waer shorages].”96

Water quality

In oledo, an increase in inense sorms and midwiner snowmels brough by

a changing climae are puting waer qualiy a risk.97 Across he Grea Lakes, a

rising volume o sormwaer runoff is eroding erilizer-laden soil rom arms and

sweeping his soil, along wih sree polluion and unreaed sewage rom urban

environs, ino Lake Erie.98 Hazardous algal blooms in he lake are becoming anincreasingly common hrea o he waer supply, as an increase in ho, sunny days

eeds he polluion-loving algae.99 “Every ime we ge a lo o snow or rain and

hen ho weaher righ aferwards, we are a a [waer qualiy] ipping poin,” says

Paekka Banniser, he ciy o oledo’s chie o waer resources.100 o aler resi-

dens o waer qualiy problems, in 2015, he ciy launched an online dashboard,

which communicaes real-ime waer qualiy readings o he public.101

Flooding

Despie improvemens in waer qualiy monioring and public awareness, he

ciy’s long hisory o developmen over welands, which daes back o beore is

ounding, makes oledo highly suscepible o flooding and drainage issues.102

Waer managemen is a growing challenge or he ciy, wih chronic flooding and

mold becoming everyday hazards or oledo residens. Less han an inch o rain

or snowmel can overwhelm he ciy’s sormwaer and wasewaer sysems and

cause a mix o sewage and sormwaer o back up ino srees, driveways, and

basemens.103 In 2014, he ciy received 1,078 requess or service due o sewage-

seeped floodwaer in residens’ basemens.104


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In oledo, home oreclosure raes were increasing even beore he ciy was hi

hard by he subprime morgage crisis o 2007.105 More requen and damaging

sorms hreaen o urher reduce propery values and access o sae and affordable

housing, including or residens already living in public assisance housing.106

Tackling the issue

In 2014, he ciy o oledo and Lucas Couny released is “Going Beyond Green”

susainabiliy plan wih goals o jump-sar planning o address he area’s grow-

ing climae and social equiy challenges.107 Prioriies oulined in he couny plan

include developing a deailed regional climae acion plan; improving energy effi-

ciency in buildings; increasing pedesrian-riendly planning; and increasing access

o local, healhy oods.108 Trough hese effors, ciy and couny officials aim o

deliver he riple botom-line benefis o improving he area’s naural sysems,

economic srengh, and social equiy.109

Te ciy is also in he final sages o implemening he oledo Waerways Iniiaive,

an 18-year, $521 million capial improvemen plan o alleviae combined sewer

backups.110 Te iniiaive aims o cu unreaed sormwaer and wasewaer runoff

by 80 percen.111 Local leaders and ederal parners are also prioriizing various

green inrasrucure sraegies, rom sand filers o green roos, which are esi-

maed o save oledo an esimaed $90,000 annually in avoided waer polluion

and flood damage coss o buildings.112

Te oledo-Lucas Couny Green Inrasrucure ask Force, which sprung ou

o he area’s susainabiliy plan, is exploring ways o bring green inrasrucure

o disadvanaged areas.113 In low-income areas o oledo such as he Maywood

Avenue and Juncion Avenue communiies, rain gardens, bioswales, and perme-

able pavemen insallaions help reduce hreas and damage rom flooding and

waer polluion and build home equiy.114 According o Banniser, hese projecs

help address oher communiy prioriies, including reducing crime by urning

vacan los ino communiy gardens, beauiying neighborhoods, and improving

access o waerways.115 Communiy members work ogeher o mainain green

inrasrucure, which suppors local projec ownership and communiy.

Sared by Rep. Marcy Kapur (D-OH), he Rain Garden Iniiaive o oledo-Lucas

Counya collecive o 16 governmens and organizaions including he ciy o

oledoholds regular public workshops, such as rain barrel insallaion rainings,


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in an effor o suppor educaion and engagemen wih a-home green inrasrucure

soluions.116 Te ciy also has reached ou o privae secor parners, such as General

Moors, whose engineers organized a weeklong waershed academy and rain garden

insallaion or kids a he Frederick Douglass Communiy Cener.117

Banniser is cauiously opimisic abou effors by he ciy o oledo and parnerso reduce he ciy ’s climae change risks. “ While oledo can’ conrol he climae

or polluion rom upsream,” Banniser says, “we can manage our inrasrucure

needs and curb he polluion we are puting ino waerways.”118


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Recommendations

Te case sudies in his repor demonsrae he need or well-designed local

iniiaives o build equiable climae resilience. In many cases, hese iniiaives

can be coupled wih ederal policies and programs o leverage addiional acion

o address he hreas o climae change in low-income communiies. Te recom-

mendaions below highligh effecive approaches o enhancing climae resilience

in low-income communiies and communiies o color; policymakers should

embrace hese approaches o maximize heir success in srenghening communiy

resilience in he Midwesand across he Unied Saes.

Ensure meaningful community engagement

in designing resilience policies, and improve

public awareness of climate change risks and effects

Communiy leaders across he counry consisenly make he case ha resilience

programs are ofen successul when hey suppor exising communiy prioriies

and are designed and implemened wih communiy member inpu and buy-in.119

Communiy, ciy, and sae leaders should work ogeher hrough new and exising

programs o communicae he effecs and risks o climae change o residens, as

Cleveland, S. Paul, and oledo have aimed o do. Communiies ha are well-

inormed o oncoming exreme weaher are beter able o prepare and preven

injury and cosly damage o heir homes and are more likely o suppor sraegies

o reduce carbon polluion and climae change risks.120

Assess the vulnerability of low-income communities

to climate change and other environmental threats

As he case sudies demonsrae, exreme weaher evens exacerbae he healh,

saey, and financial problems ha low-income communiies and communiies o

color are already acing.121 Low-income individuals may only be capable o afford-

ing cheaply buil and/or very old housing ha is highly exposed o climae change

hazards.122 Unoreseen crises such as naural disasers jeopardize sruggling amilies’


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abiliy o keep up wih daily expenses and may drive hem ino povery. 123 Finally,

low-income households ypically ren homes raher han purchasing hem; his

creaes problems when homeowners are heavily avored or disaser aid in imes o

crisis, and renal prices skyrocke when renal unis are desroyed due o exreme

weaher circumsances.124 Federal agencies should expand suppor o ciies o

assess he climae change vulnerabiliy o low-income communiies, and Congressshould ensure ha ederal agencies have he resources o provide he suppor ha

communiies need o undersand heir climae change risks. Ciy and sae officials

should conduc daa-driven assessmens o services available o low-income people

and heir vulnerabiliies o climae change, as has been done in Chicago.125

Improve the energy efficiency and weatherization

of homes to reduce energy costs and carbon pollution

Weaherizaion and energy efficiency programs help improve he qualiy andsaey o homes while lowering residens’ energy bills and improving indoor air

qualiy, paricularly during hea waves and cold snaps.126 Te U.S. Deparmen o

Energy’s, or DOE’s, ederal Weaherizaion Assisance Program, or WAP, pro-

vides grans o saes o und home efficiency upgrades or low-income people

in ciies across he Midwes and he Unied Saes.127 Energy efficiency grealy

benefis low-income households, as households making less han $50,000 per year

spend 21 percen o heir income on energy bills, compared wih only 9 percen

or higher-income households. A 2014 DOE evaluaion o WAP ound ha i

provided $4,890 in benefis per upgraded household; reduced average household

elecriciy consumpion by 7 percen; and cu carbon polluion in he Unied

Saes by 2,246,000 meric ons in 2008 alone.128

However, WAP currenly has a muliyear waiing lis, which is projeced o

increase because he program is vasly underunded.129 Congress should auhorize

addiional unding or WAP, as requesed by Presiden Barack Obama in his 2017

budge proposal. Addiionally, ciy and sae officials can encourage landlords o

muliamily housing properies o ake advanage o ederal incenives or effi-

ciency measures, such as he parnership beween he Environmenal Proecion

Agency and Freddie Mac ha seeks o incorporae efficiency measures ino finan-cial valuaions and loan underwriing o muliamily buildings.130


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Expand access to distributed solar energy

in low-income communities in order to lower

energy bills and carbon pollution levels

By insalling disribued energy, such as roofop solar, households can save money

ha can be used or oher expenses.131

Wih he cos o roofop phoovolaic solarpanels plummeing, insallaions have skyrockeed across he Grea Lakes as cusom-

ers seek o lower energy bills.132 Noneheless, people in low-income communiies

and communiies o color ace barriers o insalling roofop solar power; hese barri-

ers include meeing credi requiremens or solar leases, insufficien income o ake

advanage o incenives, and lack o decision-making auhoriy over roo space due

o residens’ saus as enans.133 Federal, sae, and ciy officials should arge solar

incenives and inormaion-sharing oward low-income communiies and communi-

ies o color by expanding communiy solar programs, like he effors in Ann Arbor,

and by working wih communiy developmen organizaions o leverage ax credis

and bulk purchase agreemens or solar insallaions.134

Improve access to public transportation and bike-share

programs to increase mobility and cut carbon pollution

Funcional and affordable public ransporaion is crucial o ciy residens, par-

icularly in low-income areas. As he Cener or American Progress has previously

repored, a lack o public ransporaion in many low-income communiies can

build barriers o affordable housing and o good jobs and schools, public services,

and resh ood.135 Upgrading and expanding access o public ransporaion

including affordable bike-share programs such as he one in Chicagocan help

address hese issues, in addiion o cuting carbon polluion, reducing raffic con-

gesion, and improving public healh.136 Also, wihou sae ransporaion opions,

low-income residens in paricular ace obsacles o geting ou o evacuaion

zones and o shelers beore exreme weaher evens hi and o reurning o work

and school afer severe sorms.137


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Plant more trees, community gardens,

and other green infrastructure to reduce flood,

urban heat island, and water pollution risks

Wih 80 percen o he American populaion now living in ciies, i is more impor-

an han ever ha sraegically argeed ree-planing and green inrasrucure become par o urban developmen plans.138 As Chicago, Cleveland, and oledo

have demonsraed, planing and mainaining rain gardens and rees are one o he

mos cos-effecive acions o conserve energy, cool urban hea islands, and reduce

he amoun o rainwaer and snowmel runoff ha pollues waerways and causes

flooding.139 In addiion o heir environmenal benefis, ree-planing and rain

gardens also improve propery values, qualiy o lie, social cohesion, and aesheic

beauy while reducing noise polluion, sress, and violence in many areas.140 Federal,

sae, and ciy leaders should expand invesmens in low-cos, high-benefi green

inrasrucure o help creae more vibran, livable, and healhy communiies. For

example, a $10 million invesmen by he ederal governmen would allow approxi-maely 70,000 rees o be planed in 10 ciies across he Midwes regionwih $1

million or each ciyo reduce flood risks, healh impacs, and crime raes. 141

Strengthen social cohesion and networks

to increase support during extreme weather events

Srenghening he social cohesion o low-income areas, such as effors in Chicago

and S. Paul, improves resilience, as residens are more likely o ge he suppor

hey need beore and during emergencies and are able o reurn o daily lie more

quickly in he afermah o exreme weaher.142 According o previous CAP analy-

sis, local and sae governmens can enhance social cohesion by regularly commu-

nicaing wih communiy leaders, municipal officials, and residens in low-income

communiies abou emergency managemen plans and ways o improve exreme

weaher response ha are specific o communiies’ climae vulnerabiliies and

resilience needs.143 Governmens also can suppor effors by communiy leaders

o seek inpu rom residens on climae resilience sraegies a communiy evens

and gahering places such as block paries, airs, schools, and communiy ceners.


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Leverage Community Development Block Grants from the

Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD,

to invest in resilient and equitable communities

More han 1,200 unis o governmenincluding he ciies menioned in his

reporuse Communiy Developmen Block Grans, or CDBGs, o inves in saeand affordable housing, srenghen inrasrucure, and oser economic oppor-

uniy in low- and moderae-income communiies.144 Many CDBG awards are

already used in ways ha build resilience, such as improving home weaheriza-

ion and reducing flood risks hrough green and gray inrasrucure, including

improved sewer and drainage sysems.145 HUD should embrace hese successes

and shape his powerul ool o build resilience in vulnerable communiies naion-

wide.146 By implemening climae risk raining or ederal CDBG officers and

award crieria or applican communiies, HUD can iniiae more conversaions

beween ederal and local parners abou ways o build resilience o alleviae cur-

ren and uure climae change effecs.

Recognize and support resilience and social justice leadership

As his repor has demonsraed, groundbreaking ideas rom across he counry

ofen come rom people working on he ground wihin communiies, and hese

ideas can do even more good when leaders adop hem in oher areas. Wih hese

idea-sharing acics in mind, he Whie House creaed he Champions o Change

iniiaive o ampliy bes pracices across a wide range o issues, including recog-

nizing 12 leaders who have helped build communiy climae resilience.147 Te

Whie House should coninue o recognize and ampliy he success o local lead-

ers, including hose effecively working wih low-income communiies o reduce

climae risks and o improve social jusice and inclusive economic developmen.


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Conclusion

Faced wih rising climae change risks, ciies across he Midwes are aking acion

o increase resilience and build upon ongoing communiy effors o improve social

and environmenal jusice. Resilience iniiaives, when well-designed hrough an

inclusive process, help local leaders pursue prioriies such as increasing access o

high-qualiy jobs, affordable housing, and clean energy; proecing public healh

and saey by lowering exreme weaher risks and improving air and waer qual-

iy; and oher communiy effors, such as fighing crime and building culurally

vibran and cohesive communiies. Climae resilience effors will vary across ciiesand saes, bu effecive programs and policies will prioriize social jusice hand in

hand wih susainabiliy and will srenghen communiies and grow opporuniies

or all communiy members o prosper.


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About the authors

Cathleen Kelly is a Senior Fellow a he Cener or American Progress. She special-

izes in inernaional and U.S. climae miigaion, preparedness, resilience, and

susainable developmen policy. Kelly served in he Obama adminisraion a he

Whie House Council on Environmenal Qualiy, where she led a 20-plus agencyask orce o develop a naional climae resilience sraegy. Tis sraegy helped

orm he basis o he climae preparedness pillar o Presiden Barack Obama’s

Climae Acion Plan. Kelly also helped ormulae he Obama adminisraion’s

posiions on inernaional susainable developmen and climae policy issues.

Previously, Kelly direced he Climae & Energy Program a Te German Marshall

Fund o he Unied Saes, where she led a highly acclaimed paper series and

evens on climae and clean energy policy ha drew he world’s op energy and

climae policy players. She also held policy direcor and senior policy adviser posi-

ions a Te Naure Conservancy and he Cener or Clean Air Policy. Kelly wasalso a proessor o inernaional and environmenal policy a he Johns Hopkins

Universiy Paul H. Nize School o Advanced Inernaional Sudies, or SAIS. Kelly

is a prize-winning graduae o SAIS, where she earned a maser o ars in inerna-

ional relaions and energy and environmenal policy.

Miranda Peterson is a Research Assisan or he Energy Policy eam a he

Cener. She works on Norh American climae sraegy and resilience policy. Prior

o joining he Cener, Peerson worked in he U.S. Deparmen o Homeland

Securiy’s Office o Inrasrucure Proecion, where she assised wih erroris and

exreme weaher preparedness. Previously, she was an educaion inern a Earh

Day Nework and joined ha organizaion again as a eam member or he U.N.

Framework Convenion on Climae Change in Copenhagen. Peerson received

her B.A. in inernaional sudies and environmenal affairs rom Virginia ech.

Erin Auel is a Research Assisan or he Energy Policy eam a he Cener. She

previously worked as an inern a he Whie House Council on Environmenal

Qualiy. Auel also inerned a he Cener, working on domesic energy and envi-

ronmenal policy maters. As a suden a Georgeown Universiy, she served as

secreary o susainabiliy and worked o reduce he campus’ ooprin and esab-lish he universiy’s Office o Susainabiliy.

Auel graduaed wih a B.A. in governmen rom Georgeown, wih minors in

environmenal sudies and French. She also sudied abroad a Sciences Po Lyon

in Lyon, France.


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Gwynne Taraska is he Associae Direcor o Energy Policy a he Cener, where

she works on inernaional and U.S. climae and energy policy. Her recen work

has concenraed on mulilaeral climae negoiaions and finance, including he

Paris agreemen, he Green Climae Fund, and carbon pricing.

Philine Qian

is an inern or he Energy Policy eam a he Cener. She is a sudenahlee a Clemson Universiy sudying inernaional relaions, he environmen,

and naural resources.


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Acknowledgments

Te Cener or American Progress is graeul or he inpu o he ollowing

organizaions and individuals: Kaie Rousseau, direcor o clean waer supply or

he Grea Lakes a American Rivers; Jennier Hall, execuive direcor o he Ann

Arbor Housing Commission; Mathew Naud, environmenal coordinaor or heciy o Ann Arbor; Jamie Ponce, Chicago ciy adviser a C40 Ciies; Chris Whea,

chie susainabiliy officer and senior policy advisor or he ciy o Chicago; Aaron

Koch, chie resilience officer or he ciy o Chicago; Jenia McGowan, chie o he

Cleveland Office o Susainabiliy; Mathew Gray, direcor o he Cleveland Office

o Susainabiliy; Jason Bing, direcor o healhy buildings a he Ecology Cener;

Mike Garfield, direcor o he Ecology Cener; Sarah Pressprich Gryniewicz,

business analys a he Ann Arbor Area ransporaion Auhoriy; erry Schwarz,

direcor o Ken Sae Universiy’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaboraive; Seva

Gandhi, Insiue o Culural Affairs program direcor; Chrisie Manning, visiing

assisan proessor in he Environmenal Sudies and Psychology deparmens aMacaleser College; Roopali Phadke, associae proessor o environmenal sudies

a Macaleser College; Paekka Banniser, chie o waer resources or he ciy o

oledo; and Larice Williams, direcor o garden iniiaives a he Urban Juncure

Foundaion.

Te auhors also would like o hank racey Ross and Greg Doson, boh wih

he Cener, and Lauren Vicary, Meghan Miller, and Cheser Hawkins, wih CAP’s

Ediorial and Ar eams.


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Endnotes

1 Authors compiled the statistics from U.S. Census Bureau,“QuickFacts: Minnesota,” available at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/27000.html (last accessed Febru-ary 2016); U.S. Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: Ohio,” avail-able at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39000.html (last accessed February 2016); U.S. Census Bureau,“QuickFacts: Michigan,” available at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26000.html (last accessed Febru-ary 2016); U.S. Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: Illinois,” avail-able at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17000.html (last accessed February 2016); U.S. Census Bureau,“QuickFacts: Indiana,” available at http://quickfacts.cen-sus.gov/qfd/states/18000.html (last accessed February2016); U.S. Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: Wisconsin,” avail-able at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55000.html (last accessed February 2016).

2 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, “Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) by State,” available at https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/release?rid=140 (last accessedFebruary 2016).

3 University of Minnesota, “New mapping tool revealsMidwest’s top 10 industry clusters,” September 12,2014, available at http://discover.umn.edu/news/business-law/new-mapping-tool-reveals-midwests-top-10-industry-clusters.

4 Tim Anderson, “Poverty rates, income inequality upin most Midwestern states,” Stateline Midwest 21 (10)(2012): 4, available at http://www.csgmidwest.org/policyresearch/1012incometrends.aspx.

5 Bureau of Labor Statistics Midwest Information Office,“Midwest Economy – Labor Force Statistics,” available athttp://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/xg-tables/ro5xg02.htm (last accessed February 2016).

6 Valerie Wilson, “Black Unemployment Rate Dips Below10 Percent in 11 of 24 States Measured in SecondQuarter,” Economic Policy I nstitute, August 4, 2015,available at http://www.epi.org/publication/black-unemployment-rate-dips-below-10-percent-in-11-of-24-states-measured-in-second-quarter/.

7 “Concentrated poverty” refers to areas where poorindividuals and families are clustered in certainneighborhoods and regions. See Brookings Institution,“Metropolitan Areas: Concentrated Poverty,” availableat http://www.brookings.edu/research/topics/concen-trated-poverty (last accessed February 2016); RichardFlorida, “America’s Biggest Problem is ConcentratedPoverty, Not Inequality,” CityLab, August 10, 2015,available at http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/08/americas-biggest-problem-is-concentrated-poverty-not-inequality/400892/.

8 Andrew Horansky, “Cleveland’s lead problem reachesnational audience,” WKYC, March 8, 2016, availableat http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/cleveland/clevelands-lead-problem-reaches-national-audi-ence/72828727.

9 Elizabeth Kneebone, “The Growth and Spread of Con-

centrated Poverty, 2000 to 2008-2012” (Washington:Brookings Institution, 2014), available at http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2014/concentrat-ed-poverty#/M10420.

10 Authors’ percentage calculation for the six Great Lakesstates from NOAA National Centers for Environmen-tal Information, “Billion-Dollar Weather and ClimateDisasters: Table of Events,” available at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events (last accessed February 2016).

11 National Climate Assessment, “Midwest” (2015),available at http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/midwest.

12 Ibid.; Partners Healthcare Asthma Center, “Chapter 15:Poverty and Asthma,” available at http://www.asthma.partners.org/NewFiles/BoFAChapter15.html(last ac-cessed February 2016).

13 Chris Mooney, “Is the Arctic really drunk, or does it just act like this sometimes?”, Mother Jones, February21, 2016, available at http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/inquiring-minds-jennifer-francis-kevin-trenberth-jet-stream-winter.

14 Bryan Walsh, “Climate Change Might Just Be Driving theHistoric Cold Snap,” Time, January 6, 2014, available athttp://science.time.com/2014/01/06/climate-change-driving-cold-weather/; Kelly Levin and C. Forbes Tomp-kins, “3 Counterintuitive Connections Between ClimateChange and Extreme Weather,” World Resources Insti-tute blog, February 27, 2015, available at http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-counterintuitive-connections-between-climate-change-and-extreme-weather.

15 Angela Fritz, “Polar vortex brings more historic cold ineastern U.S.,” The Washington Post , February 20, 2015,available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/02/19/arctic-outbreak-shatters-records-in-eastern-u-s-coldest-yet-to-come/.

16 Energy Research Council, “Polar vortex effect on elec-tricity prices,” available at http://energyresearchcouncil.com/Polar-vortex-effect-on-electricity-prices.html (lastaccessed March 2016).

17 Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, “Factsabout Public Housing,” available at http://www.clpha.org/facts_about_public_housing (last accessed Febru-ary 2016); Clifford Krauss, “Brutal Winter, and PainfulRises in Heat Costs,” The New York Times, March 12, 2014,available at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/busi-ness/energy-environment/a-brutal-winter-and-painful-rises-in-the-cost-of-heat.html?_r=0.

18 National Climate Assessment, “Midwest.”

19 Ibid.; Ben Bovarnick, Shiva Polefka, and Arpita Bhat-tacharyya, “Rising Waters, Rising Threat: How ClimateChange Endangers America’s Neglected WastewaterInfrastructure” (Washington: Center for American Prog-ress, 2014), available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2014/10/31/100066/rising-waters-rising-threat/.

20 Authors’ calculations of regional drinking water andwastewater infrastructure needs using state-level esti-mates from American Society of Civil Engineers, “2013Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” available athttp://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/states/ (lastaccessed February 2016).

21 Cathleen Kelly and Tracey Ross, “One Storm Shy ofDespair: A Climate-Smart Plan for the Administration

to Help Low-Income Communities” (Washington:Center for American Progress, 2014), available athttps://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/re-port/2014/07/17/93981/one-storm-shy-of-despair/.

22 Chris Wheat, phone interview with authors, January 20,2016.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/27000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/27000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55000.htmlhttps://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/release?rid=140https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/release?rid=140http://discover.umn.edu/news/business-law/new-mapping-tool-reveals-midwests-top-10-industry-clustershttp://discover.umn.edu/news/business-law/new-mapping-tool-reveals-midwests-top-10-industry-clustershttp://discover.umn.edu/news/business-law/new-mapping-tool-reveals-midwests-top-10-industry-clustershttp://www.csgmidwest.org/policyresearch/1012incometrends.aspxhttp://www.csgmidwest.org/policyresearch/1012incometrends.aspxhttp://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/xg-tables/ro5xg02.htmhttp://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/xg-tables/ro5xg02.htmhttp://www.epi.org/publication/black-unemployment-rate-dips-below-10-percent-in-11-of-24-states-measured-in-second-quarter/http://www.epi.org/publication/black-unemployment-rate-dips-below-10-percent-in-11-of-24-states-measured-in-second-quarter/http://www.epi.org/publication/black-unemployment-rate-dips-below-10-percent-in-11-of-24-states-measured-in-second-quarter/http://www.brookings.edu/research/topics/concentrated-povertyhttp://www.brookings.edu/research/topics/concentrated-povertyhttp://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/08/americas-biggest-problem-is-concentrated-poverty-not-inequality/400892/http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/08/americas-biggest-problem-is-concentrated-poverty-not-inequality/400892/http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/08/americas-biggest-problem-is-concentrated-poverty-not-inequality/400892/http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/cleveland/clevelands-lead-problem-reaches-national-audience/72828727http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/cleveland/clevelands-lead-problem-reaches-national-audience/72828727http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/cleveland/clevelands-lead-problem-reaches-national-audience/72828727http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/eventshttp://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/eventshttp://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/midwesthttp://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/midwesthttp://www.asthma.partners.org/NewFiles/BoFAChapter15.htmlhttp://www.asthma.partners.org/NewFiles/BoFAChapter15.htmlhttp://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/inquiring-minds-jennifer-francis-kevin-trenberth-jet-stream-winterhttp://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/inquiring-minds-jennifer-francis-kevin-trenberth-jet-stream-winterhttp://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/inquiring-minds-jennifer-francis-kevin-trenberth-jet-stream-winterhttp://science.time.com/2014/01/06/climate-change-driving-cold-weather/http://science.time.com/2014/01/06/climate-change-driving-cold-weather/http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-counterintuitive-connections-between-climate-change-and-extreme-weatherhttp://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-counterintuitive-connections-between-climate-change-and-extreme-weatherhttp://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-counterintuitive-connections-between-climate-change-and-extreme-weatherhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/02/19/arctic-outbreak-shatters-records-in-eastern-u-s-coldest-yet-to-come/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/02/19/arctic-outbreak-shatters-records-in-eastern-u-s-coldest-yet-to-come/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/02/19/arctic-outbreak-shatters-records-in-eastern-u-s-coldest-yet-to-come/http://energyresearchcouncil.com/Polar-vortex-effect-on-electricity-prices.htmlhttp://energyresearchcouncil.com/Polar-vortex-effect-on-electricity-prices.htmlhttp://www.clpha.org/facts_about_public_housinghttp://www.clpha.org/facts_about_public_housinghttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/business/energy-environment/a-brutal-winter-and-painful-rises-in-the-cost-of-heat.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/business/energy-environment/a-brutal-winter-and-painful-rises-in-the-cost-of-heat.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/business/energy-environment/a-brutal-winter-and-painful-rises-in-the-cost-of-heat.html?_r=0https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2014/10/31/100066/rising-waters-rising-threat/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2014/10/31/100066/rising-waters-rising-threat/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2014/10/31/100066/rising-waters-rising-threat/http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/states/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2014/07/17/93981/one-storm-shy-of-despair/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/r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23 Island Press and the Kresge Foundation, “Bounce For-ward: Urban Resilience in the Era of Climate Change,”(2015), available at http://kresge.org/sites/default/files/Bounce-Forward-Urban-Resilience-in-Era-of-Climate-Change-2015.pdf .

24 Matthew Naud, phone interview with authors, February8, 2016.

25 City of Ann Arbor and a2Energy, “Climate Action Plan”(2012), available at http://www.a2gov.org/depart-ments/systems-planning/energy/Documents/CityofAn-

nArborClimateActionPlan_low%20res_12_17_12.pdf.

26 City of Ann Arbor, “Sustainable: Cultivating our people,place, and potential” (2013), available at http://www.a2gov.org/departments/systems-planning/Sustain-ability/sustainability/Documents/Ann%20Arbor%20Sustainability%20Framework%20051313.pdf .

27 Jennifer Hall, phone interview with authors, February19, 2016.

28 Ibid.

29 Ecology Center, “Solar for All: Affordable Housing inAnn Arbor gets Clean Energy Makeover,” September23, 2015, available at http://ecocenter.org/newslet-ter/2015-09/solar-for-all.

30 Hall, phone interview with authors.

31 Jason Bing, phone interview with authors, February 22,2016.

32 Hall, phone interview with authors.

33 Ibid.

34 Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, “TheRide YourWay: Five-Year Transit Improvement Plan for the UrbanCore of Washtenaw County” (2014), available at http://www.theride.org/Portals/0/Documents/5AboutUs/Moving%20You%20Forward/FYPMapSched/FYTIP_COMBI_small.pdf.

35 Ibid.; Ryan Stanton, “More buses campaign declaresvictory with 71% suppor t for AAATA millage,” MLive.com, May 6, 2014, available at http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/05/early_election_re-

sults_show_vo.html.

36 Sarah Pressprich Gryniewicz, phone interview withauthors, March 16, 2016.

37 City of Ann Arbor and a2Energy, “Climate Action Plan.”

38 TheRide, “F. Goals, Targets, & Actions”(2014), available at http://www.theride.org/Portals/0/Documents/5AboutUs/Dash-board%20Facts/Sustainability%20Plan/aaa-ta_sustainability_plan_GTA_10282015.D4.print.pdf?ver=2015-11-25-124226-337.

39 Steve Bogira, “Separate, Unequal, and Ignored,”Reader , February 10, 2011, available at http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-politics-segre-gation-african-american-black-white-hispanic-latino-population-census-community/Content?oid=3221712;City-Data.com, “Crime rate in Chicago, Illinois:murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts,auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees,police officers, crime map,” available at http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Chicago-Illinois.html (lastaccessed March 2016); Hilary Gowins, “‘This Is AreStory’: Chicago Public Schools Are Failing,” HuffPost

Education, August 13, 2014, available at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-gowins/chicago-public-schools-are-failing_b_5488973.html; University ofChicago Consortium on Chicago School Research,“From High School to the Future: the Challenge ofSenior Year in Chicago Public Schools” (2013), availableat http://consortium.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Senior%20Year%20-%20Final.pdf ; PhilKadner, “Report: Mental health care in crisis in Illinois,”Daily Southtown, May 28, 2015, available at http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opin-ion/ct-sta-kadner-mental-st-0529-20150528-story.html;Steve Rhodes, “South Side Neighborhoods Own SecondWorst Jobless Rate in the United States,” NBC Chicago,November 4, 2009, available at http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/South-Side-Depression-72523967.html; PolicyLink and The Food Trust, “The Grocery Gap:Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why I t Matters”(2010), available at http://thefoodtrust.org/uploads/

media_items/grocerygap.original.pdf; Tanvi Misra,“Why Chicago Is Still the No. 2 U.S. City for Mexican Im-migrants,” CityLab, October 9, 2014, available at http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/10/why-chicago-is-still-the-2-us-city-for-mexican-immigrants/381304/.

40 Midwestern Regional Climate Center and others, “Ap-pendix A: Primary Impacts of Climate Change in theChicago Region” (2013), available at http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/14193/Appendix+A+-+Primary+Impacts+of+Climate+Change+in+the+Chicago+Region.pdf/2a85b021-f3bd-4b98-81d1-f64890ad-c5a7.

41 Mike Thomas, “An Oral History: Heat Wave,” Chicago,June 29, 2015, available at http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2015/1995-Chicago-heat-wave/.

42 Danielle Paquette, “Attack of the Chicago climatechange maggots,” The Washington Post , July 23, 2014,available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/07/23/attack-of .

43 Emily Badger, “The Way We Build Cities is Making ThemFlood,” CityLab, May 15, 2013, available at http://www.citylab.com/design/2013/05/way-we-build-cities-making-them-flood/5590/.

44 City of Chicago, “Sustainable Chicago: Action Agenda2012-2015 Highlights and Look Ahead” (2015), avail-able at http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/progs/env/Sustainable_Chicago_2012-2015_High-lights.pdf.

45 City of Chicago, “Adding Green to Urban Design,”available at http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/green_urban_design.html(last

accessed March 2016).

46 City of Chicago, “City Cooling Centers,” available athttp://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/fss/provdrs/emerg/svcs/city_cooling_centers.html (lastaccessed March 2016).

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