Meet Climate Adaptation Fifth Climate Adaptation Forum September - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Law and Governance Meet Climate Adaptation

Fifth Climate Adaptation Forum September 28, 2018 University of Massachusetts Club, Boston

Quarterly Climate Adaptation Forum | September 28, 2018

Sustainable Solutions Lab

Resilient Cambridge

Iram Farooq

AICP, LEED-AP Assistant City Manager for Community Development City of Cambridge, Massachusetts

Resilient Cambridge

Legal & Governance Challenges Iram Farooq

Assistant City Manager for Community Development Climate Adaptation Forum September 28, 2018

Heat Vulnerability Urban Street & Riverine Flooding Emerging Storm Surge Flooding with Sea Level Rise

Cambridge Climate Change Risks

Flooding Stress Test Heat Stress Test

Resilie ience Str trategie ies

A Prepared Community: Strategies to strengthen community, social, and economic resilience. B Adapted Buildings: Strategies to protect buildings against projected climate change impacts. C Resilient Infrastructure: Strategies to ensure continued service or a speedy recovery from community- wide infrastructure systems. D Resilient ecosystems: An enhanced living environment integrating air quality, waterways, green infrastructure, and the urban forest as a system resilient to climate impacts.

6

7

Integrating Planning Initiatives

Challenge: Moving Targets

Design Flood Elevations Move Up and/or Down Due to Climate Change Changing Data

• Shifting rates of

design storms

• Improved

topographic data

• Hydrologic model

refinements 1971-2000

6.6 ft 3.9 ft 1.6 ft 0.7 ft

Challenge: Moving Targets

Design Flood Elevations Move Up and/or Down Due to Uncertainty Boston Harbor Flood Risk Model Assumes 3.4 feet of Sea Level Rise by 2070

2012 National Climate Assessment SLR Rates Based on GHG Emission Scenarios

2070 SLR/Storm Surge Flood Risk

Design Elevations Move Up and/or Down Due to Emerging & Unquantified Risks Joint Probabilities of Storm Surge & Heavy Precipitation Catastrophic Precipitation

Hurricane Florence, North Carolina 2018

Challenge: Moving Targets

Challenge: Moving Targets

Cambridge FloodViewer – Accessible Flood Extent & Elevation Data Cambridge Design Flood Elevation Guidance

• Build/protect to

2070 10% annual risk

• Recover from

2070 1% annual risk

Challenge: Urban Design with Adaptation

Learning to Live With Water

July 10, 2010

Raised Plinth

envision.cambridgema.gov Envision Cambridge

Coordinating Building and Street Design

State Building Code – State Pre-emption

Cambridge Highlands Project – Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. Resiliency Features

• 98 affordable units
• Passive House level

performance

• Expect indoor temps can stay

within 55-85˚ F for 4 days passively

• Solar PV
• All units above 2070 flood
• Mechanicals on roof
• Community room on top floor

Except for elevation requirements, the City cannot require any of the other resiliency features

Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge Risk is a Regional Problem

Source: Kleinfelder & Woods Hole Group for the City of Cambridge, February 2017 based on Boston Harbor Flood Risk Model, MassDOT

AED Schafft Site CRD

Regional Flood Risk Mitigation Planning

Amelia Earhart Dam (Source: MaUSHarbors.com)

Schrafft’s Center

Climate Ready Boston: Schrafft’s Center Waterfront Park – Storm Surge Barrier

Benefit to Charlestown, Somerville, and Cambridge

FEMA Flood Zone 2030 100-Year Flood 2070 SLR/Storm Surge

Challenge: Dependence on Regional Infrastructure

MBTA Alewife Station & Red Line – Increasing Flood Risk in Cambridge

MBTA Red Line Vulnerable to Flooding in Boston

2050 1% Annual Flood Risk

Contact Iram Farooq

Assistant City Manager for Community Development Community Development Department ifarooq@cambridgema.gov

John Bolduc

Environmental Planner Community Development Department jbolduc@cambridgema.gov