Highly Rated Resources

This tab features resources that are rated highly by other members of the Local Government Professionals Network. Local Government Professionals members like you may influence this list by rating resources.  Just click on a resource and assign it a 1 (low) to 5 (high) star rating.  The highest ratings (4 and 5) should be granted to resources that you have found useful in your own work.  

 

 
 

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City Resilience Framework

April 2014 (Updated December 2015)

Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and developed by Arup’s International Development team, the City Resilience Framework is a holistic, evidence-based framework for understanding city resilience to inform urban planning and investment decisions. The Rockefeller Foundation is using the framework to create resilience-building agendas at city-level with current members of their 100 Resilient Cities Network. Presenting an inclusive method for articulating city resilience, the framework underpins and reinforces the City Resilience Index's full suite of indicators and variables.

Resource Category: Solutions

 

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Floodplain Management and the Endangered Species Act (A Model Ordinance)

November 2013

This model ordinance for floodplain management was developed by FEMA under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  It is a template that cities, counties and tribes can customize and adopt which allows land users to comply with the NFIP and the ESA. This model case is enacted for the State of Washington, to be implemented at the local level.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Linn County, Iowa Comprehensive Plan - A Smarter Course: Building on the Past and Embracing the Future of Rural Linn County

July 19, 2013

The 2013 Linn County Comprehensive Plan, effective July 19, 2013, broadens the scope of previous comprehensive plans beyond land use planning to include a broad range of goals such as economic development, sustainability, hazard planning, and renewable energy. While climate adaptation is only briefly mentioned, the plan does describe the expected risk from climate change to the county (including increased floods, heat waves, and other severe weather events).   Additionally, the plan encourages the use of green infrastructure to achieve sustainability and hazard mitigation goals.

Resource Category: Planning

 

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Case Studies in Floodplain Regulation

May 2013

This Georgetown Law student report highlights the efforts of two communities to strengthen regulations after catastrophic flood events: Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Waveland, Mississippi. These case studies discuss the regulatory reforms the communities implemented and the lessons that can be learned from their experience.

Author or Affiliated User: Emily Maus

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Resilient Coastal Development Through Land Use Planning: Tools and Management Techniques in the Gulf of Mexico

April 11, 2013

This toolkit identifies ways to strengthen community resilience through land use planning, focusing specifically on options for the Gulf Coast and the unique considerations related to state laws. The resource also discusses the side benefits of resiliency, like participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and a preferred score on the Community Rating System to achieve discounts on flood insurance premiums in qualifying communities.

Author or Affiliated User: Niki L. Pace

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Mapping Our Future: A Work Plan for Public Engagement and Equity in Climate Adaptation Planning in the San Francisco Bay Area

February 2013

This report presents a work plan for regional agencies to partner with community groups on climate adaptation, and support local governments in doing so as well. It also provides parallel recommendations for funders and community groups.

Author or Affiliated User: Kirsten Schwind

Resource Category: Education and Outreach

 

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Protecting the Public Interest through the National Coastal Zone Management Program: How Coastal States and Territories Use No-Build Areas along Ocean and Great Lake Shorefronts

May 2012

This report provides an overview of policy options for limiting new construction in vulnerable coastal areas, and a summary of existing laws and regulations in states with federally approved coastal management programs (CMPs). To better understand and communicate how state CMPs manage ocean and Great Lake shorefront development, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) (now a part of the Office for Coastal Management) conducted this study to look specifically at where states are employing shorefront strategies to protect the public interest and natural resources.

Resource Category: Solutions

 

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Deal Island Peninsula Project

2012

The Deal Island Peninsula, in Maryland, is vulnerable to flooding, erosion, storm surge, and changing sea levels.  Beginning in 2012, federal, state, and university funding has supported a collaborative effort to strengthen the ability of local communities to adapt to these changing conditions. Many residents in Deal Island identify strongly with the "watermen" lifestyle, relying on harvesting crab, oyster, and fish for their livelihood and supporting cultural traditions. This project aims to bring together community members, researchers, and environmental managers to learn from one another and support strategic adaptation plans.

Resource Category: Solutions

 

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Climate Change Handbook for Regional Water Planning

November 2011

Developed cooperatively by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Resources Legacy Fund, and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, this handbook provides a framework for integrating the impacts of climate change into water resources management. Key decisions, resources, tools, and planning options are presented to guide resource managers and planners as they develop means of adapting their programs to a changing climate. The handbook uses CA DWR's Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) planning framework as a model into which analysis of climate change impacts and planning for adaptation and mitigation can be integrated at a regional scale.

Resource Category: Planning

 

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Thirsty for Answers: Preparing for the Water-related Impacts of Climate Change in American Cities

August 2011

In this report the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has compiled local and regional research findings about the water-related impacts of climate change in 12 U. S. cities. NRDC examined more than 75 scientific studies, as well as data and reports generated by government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The report makes clear that some of the most profound effects of climate change are water-related, such as sea-level rise, increased rain and storms, flooding, and drought, and that these kinds of events are likely to increase in the coming years as a result of climate change.

Authors or Affiliated Users: Mark Dorfman, Michelle Mehta, Ben Chou, Steve Fleischli, Kirsten Sinclair Rosselot

Resource Category: Solutions

 

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