From Progressive Cities to Resilient Cities: Lessons from History for New Debates in Equitable Adaptation to Climate Change

Abstract

Planners and activists are identifying ways to promote equitable adaptation that counter climate injustice. This article explores how this progressive turn in adaptation compares with past progressive movements. I argue urban progressive politics have cyclical tendencies toward liberalism and radicalism, and that the evolution of planning for climate adaptation mirrors these waves. I review 10 recent guidance documents that recommend strategies for enhancing racially just adaptation. I then assess how these recommendations advance the three pillars of progressive reforms: redistribution, expansion of democracy, and structural reform. I find that proposed strategies for racially just resilience are a welcome advance from mainstream, unjust resilience planning. However, history suggests that the focus on procedural justice for oppressed communities seen in recent discourse may limit their scope and durability. I conclude with suggestions for areas where climate activists and scholars can expand given emerging political space for ambitious thinking under a Green New Deal.

Implementing just climate adaptation policy: An analysis of recognition, framing, and advocacy coalitions in Boston, U.S.A.

“…The risk is that failing to focus on structural conditions of inequality, such as poverty or exclusion, allows vulnerability to persist under the guise of socially just climate adaptation and distracts from building adaptive capacities (Agyeman, 2013;Bulkeley et al, 2013). Our intent is not to blame any actor or initiative; even advocacy organizations with a focus on justice can be susceptible to engaging in mainstream adaptation planning over transformative adaptation planning (Shi, 2019(Shi, , 2021. Similarly, our intent is not to propose unachievable implementation standards that thwart any kind of good intentions a city may have.…”

Equitable Urban Planning for Climate Change

“…Finally, the potential for inclusive processes to generate urban climate change plans or interventions that worsen inequities or legitimize unsustainable outcomes was raised as a concern. It is possible that inclusive decision-making may generate plans that negatively affect the environment or the well-being of the socially marginalized (Larsen and Gunnarsson-Östling 2009;Shi 2020).…”

“…Calls are growing to rectify this lack of consideration of social justice within urban planning for climate change. Shi (2020) notes that there is an "outcry over unjust resilience" and advocates for placing equity front and center. Wijsman and Feagan (2019) affirm urban planning for climate change needs to consider issues of justice and equity.…”

Challenges and opportunities for assisted regional ecosystem adaptation: International experience and implications for adaptation research

“…Regional climate extremes place communities, societies, and regional ecosystems under extreme pressure. Communities, societies and ecosystems already face adaptation pressures that differ from and/or are greater than those experienced historically [10,11]. Maintaining values such as the productivity of agricultural systems, cultural heritage of landscapes, livability of human settlements and functional integrity of ecosystems will be difficult in the face of climate extremes unless new adaptive capacities are developed.…”