Stephanie Carlisle, Sustainability Coordinator and Bridget Graziano, Conservation Agent speak at National Planning Conference on the Benefits of a Regional Planning Approach in Regard to Climate Change

Stephanie Carlisle, Sustainability Coordinator, and Bridget Graziano, Conservation Agent, spoke at the 2023 National Planning Convention (NPC) this past weekend about their approach to developing a proactive roadmap for regional climate change adaptation. The panel, including Gloria Huangpu from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, discussed how many communities are preparing for climate change hazards, such as increased flooding. With climate impacts not ending at municipal borders and how the action of one community could affect their neighbors, they discussed how a regional planning approach offers a comprehensive, consistent pathway to prepare for future conditions.

During the presentation, they shared how in Massachusetts, watershed associations are championing climate adaptation at a regional scale. They mentioned that without their leadership, municipalities would lack the support to pursue large-scale strategies and significant state and federal funding opportunities. They went on to explain that to be highly effective, the work of these partnerships needs to be informed by the members and the public they serve. Climate Resilience Strategic Plans at the watershed scale facilitate long-term, positive change by creating a roadmap for collaborative partnerships, decision-making, resource allocation, grant applications, and adaptation strategies.

As members of the successful Charles River Climate Compact, the panelists shared the strategies involved in the planning process, including crafting visioning sessions, gathering feedback on goals and values, developing and prioritizing resiliency strategies, using dynamic online tools to facilitate discussion and synthesizing results, and creating clear public-facing deliverables that communicate technical topics in accessible formats.

For more information on the Charles River Climate Compact or the Climate Resilience Strategic Plan, please reach out to Stephanie Carlisle at scarlisle@townofmedway.org or Bridget Graziano at bgraziano@townofmedway.org

(Pictured from left to right, Stephanie Carlisle, Medway Sustainability Coordinator, Gloria Huangpu, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and Bridget Graziano, Conservation Agent)