FLAGSTAFF — The city of Flagstaff received an award from the Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association for the Flagstaff Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) at the association’s annual conference on Sept. 11. The award recognizes the city’s significant commitment to forward-looking planning to meet the future challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. Awardees were selected based on originality, transferability, quality, comprehensiveness, public outreach, role of planners and effectiveness.
The Flagstaff City Council adopted the CAAP on November 20, 2018 after 18 months of community visioning and engagement. The plan is a strategic roadmap to guide both the municipal organization and the Flagstaff community in preparing for climate risks, both by building resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to protect the wellbeing of residents for decades to come. Community engagement took place throughout the development process, engaging over 1,000 community members through a Steering Committee, nine community open houses, monthly meetups, four online surveys, City Council meetings and a youth climate summit.
Collaboration across the city contributed to the success of the CAAP, particularly due to the significant impacts and opportunities involved in transportation, buildings and land use. The CAAP forwards not only environmental goals of the Flagstaff 2030 Regional Plan, but also land use, safety, water and infrastructure goals.
Full implementation of the CAAP will reduce Flagstaff’s greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 (starting from a 2016 baseline), will help Flagstaff build resiliency in preparation for upcoming climate changes, and will ensure that climate action considers the disparate impacts on vulnerable communities.
To learn about the CAAP please visit www.flagstaff.az.gov/climate. For more information, contact Jenny Niemann at (928) 213-2150.