The Power of Parks to Address Climate Change

For more than 45 years, we have worked with cities to help make vulnerable communities more equitable, livable, and resilient to the effects of climate change. Through our Climate-Smart Cities program, we partner with city leaders and residents to design, fund, and build climate-smart parks and green spaces where they’re needed most.

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How We Help

We help cities use parks and natural lands as “green infrastructure” serving four objectives: 

Connect

Trails and transit lines provide carbon-free transportation and link residents to popular destinations and each other.

Cool

Shady green spaces reduce the urban heat island” effect, protect people from heat waves, and reduce summer energy use.

Absorb

Water-smart parks, playgrounds, and green alleys absorb rainfall, reduce flooding, improve water quality, and recharge drinking water supplies, while reducing energy use for water treatment. 

Protect

Strategically placed shoreline parks and natural lands buffer cities from rising seas, coastal storms, and river flooding.

Climate Smart Cities in Action 

 

We’ve partnered with  residents  and civic leaders in 15 major metro regions across the country, increasing local capacity to plan,  fund,  protect, and  create  parks and open spaces featuring climate-smart green infrastructure.

  • In Chicago, we’re working with the regional watershed council to develop a data-driven strategy that will guide millions of dollars towards nature-based solutions.
  • In Camden, we led the development of a parks and open space plan that explicitly prioritizes future investments based on climate, health, and equity indicators.
  • In New Orleans, we’re using cutting-edge mapping tools to help decision-makers determine where green infrastructure investments are needed most.

 

Learn more about our Climate Smart Cities work in:

Metro Boston 

Los Angeles 

Richmond, California 

Cleveland 

New Orleans

Dallas 

Denver 

Philadelphia 

Camden 

Chicago 

 

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