Plan smarter, build safer
Sponsored by ICLEI Canada
Climate hazards need to be at the forefront of housing and infrastructure decisions made today. Communities across Canada are already seeing the reality of intensifying climate change impacts like flooding, wildfires, heat waves, and permafrost thaw.
Climate Insight’s newest features give communities the tools they need to get ahead of increasing climate risks.
Building for Tomorrow
Most housing and infrastructure aren’t ready for future climate impacts. Conducting risk assessments often requires expensive external consulting that is out of reach for many – especially small and remote communities.
Without the capacity or resources to complete these assessments, communities risk building homes and infrastructure that won’t stand up to tomorrow’s climate, leading to higher costs, unsafe conditions, and the need to rebuild later.
“The new hazard and risk assessment resources from Climate Insight are a game-changer for smaller municipalities like ours,” said Lindsay Hargreaves, environmental initiatives coordinator at the City of Brandon. “They provide more detail and rigour than other free tools and are more accessible than other methodologies that require consultants.”
Right Information Makes It Easy to Be Proactive
Climate Insight – a free, online platform – has made it easier than ever to plan for resilient, low-carbon housing and infrastructure. With a few clicks, users can pinpoint climate hazards in their community and assess risks to assets.
The platform’s newest features fill a gap in data and information, helping to build an understanding of which hazards and risks are important in different areas. This helps community practitioners prioritize their efforts.
Canadian communities can use new and enhanced tools to future-proof homes and infrastructure. New features include:
- a rapid risk assessment tool to quickly assess climate risks of assets or projects
- enhanced neighbourhood-scale maps that include climate information, social vulnerability layers, and infrastructure assets, including parks and green space
- the ability to get instant snapshots of the likelihood of climate hazards today and into the future at the neighbourhood scale
- clear guidance on how hazards impact various housing and infrastructure
“The newest features help put everyone on a level playing field by letting any community identify climate risks and hazards without large upfront costs,” said Jillian Hudgins, environmental strategist and program manager at the City of Fredericton.
Building Smart
In housing and infrastructure planning, assumptions can be costly. Climate Insight helps communities proactively plan for climate change impacts.
By enabling practitioners to bring risk into land use, development approvals, and every step of housing infrastructure planning processes, communities can build fast while building smart.
Visit ClimateInsight.ca to see how its free tools and resources can save you time and money.
Climate Insight is part of the Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure. It is managed by ICLEI Canada with support from Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada and is funded in part by the Government of Canada. MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Trevor Chow-Fraser’s article: Innovation drives municipal climate action.
Ewa Jackson is a recognized national leader in local climate adaptation and resilience, and the managing director at ICLEI Canada.
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