Planners can now explore a database of climate ordinances in the United States using a new web-based tool developed by the Great Plains Institute (GPI). GPI has been working with two divisions of the American Planning Association—the American Planning Association Sustainable Communities Division and the American Planning Association Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division—to identify and help develop tools for planners working on climate change in their local communities.
Planners identify need for climate ordinance examples and models
In the summer of 2020, the Great Plains Institute administered a survey to planning professionals across the country. The survey sought to hear from urban and regional planners on what tools they need to advance their communities’ climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.
A video recording of a recent American Planning Association webinar, “Preparing to Plan for Climate Change—What Tools Do We Need?” that summarizes the survey results of the survey and the project is available in this blog post.
Planners identified several critical needs for tying local climate goals or GHG reduction targets to local planning activities. One of the greatest needs identified was for examples of climate-related ordinances and ordinances that integrate climate (highlighted in a summary of the survey results below).
Ordinance examples or model ordinances provide insights for ordinance language on a wide range of topics, including technologies like electric vehicles and solar, as well as land use considerations like parking standards that encourage multi-modal transportation and green space standards that encourage carbon sequestration.
New tool enables planners to explore model climate ordinances and example ordinance language
GPI staff, including former Climate Research Intern Ben Oman, developed a best practice database of climate ordinances for use by planning professionals across the country. The database includes model ordinances for specific climate topics, examples of adopted ordinance language from communities that have taken climate action, and other compilations or databases of ordinances that include climate-related examples.
Planners and others can use this database to find relevant examples or model ordinance language on specific climate-related topics. Planners can also use the database to better understand what other communities are doing on climate across the country or as inspiration for what is possible within their own communities. The database allows planners to narrow and filter ordinance search results by community type and size, topic, or sector to ensure that their search relates most closely to their work and areas of interest.
The climate ordinance database is included here as a searchable web tool.
You can also download the formatted Excel spreadsheet version.
With suggestions for additions to the database, please submit additional examples through this form, or for updates to an ordinance already included in the database, please contact Jessi Wyatt at [email protected] directly.
You can also visit GPI’s Services page to learn more how our experienced staff collaborates with local governments and businesses to develop and implement actionable strategies for achieving energy and emissions reduction goals.
