Planning for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in North Central Texas: A Roundtable Discussion

Abstract

On July 16, 2009, the School of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington hosted a daylong roundtable on how “climate leader” municipalities of North Central Texas—and urban planners in those communities—are responding to the looming challenge of climate change. The organizers invited the planning directors in selected North Central Texas communities to send staff members to participate. The targeted municipalities were those who are members of Cities for Climate Protection (ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability) or whose mayors have signed the Climate Protection Agreement (U.S. Conference of Mayors). Of the 17 such communities in the region, nine sent representatives to the roundtable. Also joining the conversation was a representative of North Central Texas Council of Governments

This is a record of a five-hour conversation among key administrators about how climate change concern is—or isn’t—being translated into changes in zoning decisions, building codes, transportation plans, education programs, solid waste practices, purchasing decisions, energy purchases, and related matters in North Central Texas communities that hold themselves up as leaders in responding to the threat of climate destabilization. The conversation covered what the municipalities are doing to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (mitigation); what they are doing to make themselves and their communities resilient to the effects of climate change (adaptation); how they conceptualize and operationalize the relationship between these activities; and how these activities can be coordinated at the regional level.

The principal content of the report, a transcript of the roundtable conversation, is supplemented with a brief introductory essay by one of the organizers and comments from nonprofit organizations and a state legislator.