Communities across the United States are anticipating, planning and preparing for the impacts of climate change. Communities are also taking steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the cause of climate change. Below are examples of local, state, regional and tribal communities that have taken action.
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The Cities of Aurora and Lawrenceburg collaborated to jointly implement the River Cities Bike Share Program in an effort to revitalize both communities. In addition to providing an environmentally friendly form of transportation and exercise, the Program helps connect urban amenities such as downtown businesses, parks and the Ohio River riverfront.
Ball State University replaced its aging coal fired boilers with a campus-wide geothermal energy heating and cooling system, saving $2.2 – $2.5 million annually.
The City of Bedford, Indiana partnered with local organizations to create a community garden in order to increase access to healthy food and establish an active social space for community members.
With the most wind farms in Indiana, Benton County has refined wind farm requirements by clearly articulating road preparation and repair expectations in road use agreements.
To ensure residents would not be without essential services during a power outage, Bloomington, Indiana, installed backup power generators at their critical facilities.
The City of Bloomington, IN’s Commission on Sustainability hosted a public town hall where consultants from Oakland, CA based firm, Environmental Justice Solutions, presented their racial equity impact assessment tool (REIA), a framework used by the City of Oakland to incorporate equity at all levels of climate action planning. See how the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability expanded community conversation on the equity and justice opportunities for Bloomington’s climate mitigation and adaptation plan.
See how the Parks and Recreation Department in Bloomington, Indiana improved stormwater and erosion control management using native plants and reshaping a local creek bed.
The City of Bloomington, Indiana installed solar panels at 32 government-owned locations to provide approximately 2.1 MW of solar capacity as of early 2020. An additional 1.8 MW was added to 240 homes through residential solar as part of a volunteer-led volume pricing program in collaboration with the City.
Carmel, Indiana has built more than 120 roundabouts which have improved community resilience by boosting walkability and moving traffic more efficiently.
The City of Cedar Rapids partnered with local farmers, landowners, and organizations to implement management practices to reduce nutrient runoff, improve soil health, and mitigate flood risk.
See how Chicago, Illinois is improving climate resilience to extreme heat events by engaging vulnerable communities and improving disaster response protocols.
The City of Cincinnati designed an air quality action plan that offers training and resources to advise City staff on how to reduce ozone-producing activities on poor air quality days.
The City of Cincinnati established an energy program to provide residents 100 percent renewable and competitively priced energy.
Staff in the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability completed two greenhouse gas emission inventories: one of municipal operations and one for the entire city.
The City of Cincinnati, Ohio collaborated with local groups to amend its zoning code to remove barriers to urban farming, community gardens, and composting across the city.
To enhance the drought resilience of the region, Citizens Energy Group repurposed a retired limestone quarry to develop a reservoir that provides 3.2 billion gallons of additional water storage.
When the City of Richmond, Indiana demolished its old hospital, 96 percent of the material generated during demolition was recycled or reused, saving the City $1.253 million and diverting 60,654 tons of demolition debris from the landfill.
When the University of Notre Dame began development on a new golf course completed in 1997, community groups worked with researchers to improve the ecosystem health of a historic creek located in the planned development area while creating a natural feature for the golf course.
The Town of Corydon, Indiana removed two low-head dams, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Ecosystems Connections, to protect and restore ecosystems and improve public safety.
Before and after severe droughts, the City of Decatur, Illinois assessed their water supply and implemented strategies to reduce the impact of a drought.
Using grant funding, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision has been working with local governments and businesses to reduce diesel emissions and improve air quality around the Southwest Detroit neighborhood.
The City of Evanston’s Office of Sustainability partnered with local organizations including Y.O.U., the Watershed Collective, and District 65’s EvanSTEM Initiative to create a curriculum and activity through which students can learn about and propose solutions to address climate change in their community.
The Indiana National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) launched the PowerUp initiative in Evansville, Indiana, to advance solar generation and create clean energy jobs for vulnerable and marginalized populations. As part of the initiative, solar panels were installed on the Greater St. James Community Recreation and Education Center.
The dunes on the South Shore of Lake Michigan are beginning to show climate change impacts. The Indiana Dunes Climate Change Adaptation Plan, finalized in May 2018, lists anticipated changes to the dunes and includes strategies for adapting to those changes.
The City of Fishers, Indiana conducted greenhouse gas inventories to measure city government and community-wide emissions and support emissions reductions measures in the future.
See how a water utility in Fredericktown, MO used an EPA tool to assess climate vulnerability for their source water from drought, erosion and sedimentation.
In 2014, the City of Gary, Indiana implemented a neighborhood-focused green infrastructure project with the goals of improving stormwater management and revitalizing blighted areas in the community. The project added .37 acres of green infrastructure in three abandoned lots in the Aetna neighborhood, an area inhabited by more than 80% people of color.
The City of Goshen, Indiana completed a city-wide tree inventory and canopy assessment in order to strategically and equitably distribute environmental, public health and quality of life benefits from urban trees.
The City of Grand Rapids adopted a four-year strategic plan to align operations and budget items with its key values, one of which is sustainability.
After seeing an increase in flooding events, Huntington County, Indiana, developed a flood response and evacuation plan with its cities and towns to reduce injury, loss of life, and property damage during floods.
Youth Power Indiana, a project of Earth Charter Indiana, engaged youth to develop and advocate for climate recovery resolutions in several Indiana municipalities, seven of which adopted resolutions.
The City of Indianapolis retrofit upwards of 27,000 existing streetlamps with LED fixtures, and used the savings to install 4,000 additional lamps in the city. Estimated savings were $800,000. The project reduces the City’s carbon footprint, saves money that can be used for other City needs, and greatly improves public safety.
The City of Indianapolis created the People’s Planning Academy to educate historically underrepresented residents about city planning processes.
See how Iowa City, IA responded to riverine flooding risk by decommissioning a vulnerable facility and expanding service outside the floodplain.
Jennings County, Indiana launched the “Share Some Space” program to increase pollinator habitat and educate the public on pollinators to improve ecological and agricultural resilience.
Evergy added over 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations to its Clean Charge Network in the Kansas City region.
Local organizations in Knox County, Indiana, along with representatives from the agriculture, horticulture and landscaping industries collaborated with conservation experts to pass an ordinance that banned 64 invasive plant species in the county. County commissioners unanimously passed the ordinance in August 2018.
Van Buren County, Michigan and LaGrange County, Indiana implemented an equitable drainage fee system that has reduced erosion, improved ecological resilience, and increased use of sustainable land management practices.
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission created an online mapping tool to help plan potential wetland restoration and preservation projects by determining the functions of existing wetlands.
The Toledo-Lucas County Sustainability Commission created a nutrient source inventory that identifies where nutrient runoff is occurring in the water basin to help reduce harmful algal blooms and improve water quality in the region.
The Michiana Area Council of Governments partnered with local volunteers, the non-profit organization Solarize Indiana, and local governments in their northern Indiana region to make it easier for residents and businesses to install solar while helping 117 homes, businesses, and faith communities complete their own installations.
The Sanitary District of Michigan City conducted an energy efficiency audit and updated their wastewater treatment and lighting infrastructure, resulting in energy use reductions and cost savings.
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, responsible for Minneapolis, Minnesota, considered climate projections to better understand climate threats and vulnerability to stormwater management capabilities.
See how Minnesota has assessed projected public health risks from climate change across the state.
To reduce high-speed traffic running through their downtown, improve walkability, and reduce dangerous roadway conditions, the City of New Albany, Indiana redesigned their downtown transportation infrastructure. The redesign included reducing the number of driving lanes on streets and adding new sidewalks and bike lanes.
Multiple Northeast Indiana counties worked collaboratively to create individual debris management plans that can be enacted in the event of a disaster.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission established the Partners for Clean Air Program to improve outdoor air quality and protect public health. The Partners for Clean Air program is a coalition of industries, local governments, and community members that develop Air Quality Action Plans to be implemented on Air Quality Action Days.
The Center at Donaldson in Plymouth, Indiana, converted a portion of its fleet to electric vehicles and installed charging infrastructure on its campus.
The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council collaborated with the local Health Department of Northwest Michigan to examine septic system policies across the watershed, identify problems, and develop local solutions.
The City of Richmond developed a geographic information systems (GIS) map that illustrates the yearly solar power potential from rooftops for the entire city limits.
Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health conducted a vulnerability assessment to understand how climate change would impact the public health of their residents.
Following local environmental crises affecting children’s health in East Chicago, the local school district decided to purchase propane school buses as a healthier and less air pollution alternative to diesel.
The Village of Silverton, Ohio designed an energy plan and implemented cost-saving renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
See how Iowa City, Iowa used smart growth strategies to increase climate change resilience by removing vulnerable structures and managing stormwater along the riverfront.
The City of South Bend, Indiana installed innovative smart sewer system technology to monitor and regulate wastewater levels, resulting in reductions in sewer overflows, significant savings for the City and reductions in street-level flooding.
The City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota increased green infrastructure by providing financial and technical assistance to install rainwater projects that will reduce stormwater runoff on residential properties.
In 2017, Vigo County completed the construction of its solar-powered Solid Waste District Management building. Most of the year, 50 solar panels provide 100% of the building’s energy needs and support two solar-powered generators.
White County worked with a wind developer to install more than 350 turbines, with more on the way, to boost their economy and climate resilience.
The City of Whiting, Indiana’s Street Department changed their collection process to increase recycling in the community, reducing expenses by $75,000 in the program’s first year.
In efforts to reduce their city’s waste, the Environmental Stewardship Commission of Wyoming, Ohio organized a community-wide “Upcycle Day” where citizens donated clothing, electronics, furniture, and other large-ticket household items no longer in use. Now in its third year, the event has diverted approximately 48.8 tons of waste from landfills, providing community members a cost-free opportunity to give their daily items a new life.
