Salt Lake City, Utah Adapts to Improve Air Quality Through Smart Growth

Salt Lake City identified air quality as a critical vulnerability

• Salt Lake City identified air quality as an immediate problem, and one that is likely to be exacerbated by climate change.
• Salt Lake increased city department’s adaptive capacity through training staff in a Climate Leaders program to better understand how climate change will affect their department’s mission.
• Salt Lake City created a Climate Dashboard to track progress and provide up-to-date information on accomplishments to the public.
• Salt Lake City is currently completing their vulnerability assessment of climate impacts to every city department.
• To develop its pending Climate Response Plan, Salt Lake City convened an internal (city government) steering committee to assess risks and vulnerabilities and received input from all city departments.

• Designed for local government officials, the Community-Based Climate Adaptation Handout describes the impacts of climate change on governmental services, provides adaptation strategies, and includes examples of community-based adaptation actions.

Salt Lake City prioritized adaptation actions that provide co-benefits

• Salt Lake City knew even before completing an adaptation plan that reducing vehicle emissions, upgrading municipal fleets, and encouraging comprehensive regional transportation programs would both reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and benefit public health by reducing air pollution that will be exacerbated due to a changing climate.
• Salt Lake City has also participated in mitigation measures through an EPA funded program called Climate Showcase Communities.

• EPA's Smart Growth Program provides smart growth resources to help small towns and rural communities achieve their goals for growth and development while maintaining their rural character.