Join us for a special discussion led by Kristin Baja of USDN with city staff from Salt Lake City, UT and Fort Collins, CO as they highlight how focusing on racial equity and climate justice in local plan and policy development helps lay the foundation for a more equitable and resilient community.
The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) is working to restructure and rethink how local governments plan and implement projects by working at the nexus of equity, resilience, and greenhouse gas mitigation. USDN staff and members have developed guidance to overhaul the typical government process and center racial equity and climate justice in plan and policy development as well as implementation by 1) centering corrective action and 2) shifting power to frontline communities to create an equitable and resilient society.
The Nexus Guidance turns traditional planning efforts on their heads and reshapes how we approach planning including Climate Action Plans (CAPs), Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs), and Capital Investment Projects (CIPs).
With more Arizona cities beginning CAP and HMP processes, we have the opportunity to learn from USDN’s Nexus work to ensure Arizona government plans and projects are developed through a truly equity-centered approach.
The Discussion Series “Connecting Emergency Management and Sustainability: Policies, Practices, and Actions” explores how cities can integrate emergency management and sustainability practices to foster current strengths and examine opportunities to bring holistic resilience to our communities.
The Series is co-sponsored by the Sustainable Cities Network and the City of Tempe’s Office of Sustainability, with support from the School of Sustainability and the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security.