Climate refugees are already on the move in the United States. The New York Times recently conducted an exploration on of the most desirable locations to escape wildfires, drought, and sea-level rise.
Debra Kamin shares insight into a recent exploration of the trend of Americans relocating to the Great Lakes Region, exemplified by the city of Duluth, Minnesota, to seek a friendlier climate as environmental risks increase in other parts of the country.
“The New York Times has been tracking the global climate migration for several years; four years ago, we covered a report from Jesse Keenan, then a professor at Harvard, zeroing in on a handful of U.S. cities that he believed would become climate havens in the coming years,” writes Kamin. “Many of those cities are in the cooler, landlocked Midwest. But it was Duluth, Minn., which Dr. Keenan nicknamed ‘climate-proof Duluth,’ that he believed would be one of the safest bets.”
The exploration produced an article published earlier in March, linked as the source article below. According to Kamin’s summary of the reportage, recent climate migrants to Duluth share a similar sentiment: “Nowhere on the globe is fully removed from climate change. But as wildfires become more intense and sea levels rise, Duluth might be manageable.”
Planetizen first picked up the news of “climate migrants’ moving to Duluth in October 2021.
FULL STORY: Out-of-Towners Head to ‘Climate-Proof Duluth’
Americans Are Moving Toward Climate Risk
More Americans are ignoring the realities of climate change emigrating—even as more and more climate refugees flee the damage.
Federal Grants Aid Native Relocation, but Will They Be Enough?
Increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, many Native Alaskan and other indigenous communities will have to relocate—and soon.
Coastal Tribes Facing Numerous Existential Threats From Climate Change
From Alaska to Washington, climate change is real, and it’s here now, for indigenous tribes.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
