Climate action, finance, and justice in small and midsize cities in the USA

This project examines climate action in small and midsize cities in the United States (US). Climate policies and programs have benefits and costs that impact residents differently. This project advances knowledge about what small and midsize cities are doing to slow climate change, how they are paying for those actions, and if and how concerns about justice influence policy development. The project identifies common practices, challenges, and innovations in strategies to finance urban climate action and promote equity in urban climate policies and programs. This information is of interest to city governments, climate action networks, community-based organizations, and members of the general public interested in urban climate action. In addition, the project provides educational and training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and a postdoctoral researcher. It also supports the development of teaching materials on mixed-methods research and urban climate governance. Cities have been important sites of climate action for more than two decades. Scholars and practitioners have pointed to the need to understand how climate plans and policies play out on the ground. While most conventional studies focused on big cities, this project investigates the implementation, funding and financing, and justice politics of climate action in small and midsize cities. The investigators address three sets of questions about climate action: (1) What actions are small and midsize cities taking to implement climate action policies and programs, and how do they address concerns about justice and equity in these efforts? (2) How are small and midsize cities paying for climate action, and how does that financing influence what climate policies and programs are implemented? (3) How do concerns about justice and equity come into play in debates and decisions about climate action in small and midsize cities? To do so, the investigators survey city staff in 250 small and midsize cities across the US; collect and analyze city budgets, capital expenditure reports, and other financial documents; and conduct in-depth comparative case studies of the implementation of two climate mitigation practices, urban greening, and building performance standards. In conversation with the existing literature on climate action in large cities, the research findings support a more complex and robust understanding of urban climate action and justice relevant to US cities of all sizes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.