Urban Ocean Lab

#ClimateWeekNYC is officially underway, and we're thrilled to see so many organizations engaging in discussions about securing a more resilient future for coastal communities. For more information on how the federal government can support these efforts, check out our latest publication "Protecting Coastal Communities from Climate Impacts: An Agenda for the Next President" ⤵️

While the Biden-Harris Administration has made unprecedented progress in addressing climate change, there is much more work to be done. To help the next administration foster a more equitable and sustainable future for millions of people, we’ve released "Protecting Coastal Communities from Climate Impacts: An Agenda for the Next President." Drawing on our Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities, the agenda identifies how the next administration should support and invest in ocean climate solutions across our five policy themes. As #ClimateWeek gets underway, policymakers and activists can use our agenda to envision how strong and sustained federal support can help coastal cities adapt to and manage climate risks. Read the full agenda: https://lnkd.in/ecKnqARi

"Coastal cities have many opportunities to increase near- and long-term climate-preparedness, rather than continuing the cycle of picking up the pieces after disaster strikes. Doing so requires sharing knowledge, experience, and science in order to secure a more climate resilient future for all communities." Our latest newsletter came from our Program Director, Sheetal Shah. In it, she discussed how tools like our Climate Readiness Framework and recently launched resource hub can help coastal cities proactively prepare for a climate-changed future. Visit https://lnkd.in/eDSqxe8f to read the full letter. 🔵 If you're not already a subscriber, sign up for our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/exAuCwB8 🔵 Read the recommendations in our Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities here: https://lnkd.in/gejDYnuF 🔵 Explore our resource hub here: https://lnkd.in/dBmaz6GR

That's a wrap on National Ocean Month, and UOL has been busy! A few of our highlights: 1. 🤝 We co-hosted Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice with Center for American Progress and Azul, where Ayana Elizabeth Johnson moderated a panel on climate-driven relocation. Watch a recording of the conversation: https://lnkd.in/eSkHjg3i 2. 🗣 We joined Sea Change, a podcast produced by WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio, to discuss the importance of climate-ready coastal cities. Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/eUvpQB4M 3. 👩💻 We launched our resource hub, an open-access tool with hundreds of resources to support climate adaptation in coastal cities. Explore the hub: https://lnkd.in/dBmaz6GR 4. ✍ Our Policy Director, Alexandra (Ali) C., contributed to "Turning the Tide: Biden Administration Leadership on Ocean Climate Action & Recommended Next Steps", in collaboration with 60+ environmental organizations and ocean advocacy groups. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eagzjQyh

📻 Our Program Director Sheetal Shah joined the latest episode of Sea Change, the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast produced by WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio, to chat about UOL's mission: creating climate-ready coastal cities. Check out the episode to hear how leaders around the world—from Mobile, Alabama to Lagos, Nigeria—are preparing their cities for a climate-changed future: https://lnkd.in/erEY9m8z

Adapting to climate impacts in coastal cities requires excellent policy grounded in reliable data. Right now, coastal cities across the country are facing information deficits: More than half of U.S. coastal communities underestimate sea level rise, and many cities aren’t using the latest science in their risk assessments. To help close this knowledge gap, we’re launching an open-access resource hub stacked with vetted content from trusted sources. Featuring everything from case studies and datasets, to example legislation and policy memos, the hub is packed with critical information to support policymakers and other practitioners working towards more resilient coastal cities. Resources will be updated and added regularly, so if your organization creates work that supports climate-ready coastal cities, please email info@urbanoceanlab.org with a link to your publication, and we’ll see if it’s a fit! Explore hundreds of resources at https://lnkd.in/dBmaz6GR.

📢 Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice if officially underway! Tune in to hear directly from leaders paving the way to a more just, equitable, and inclusive future for our coastal communities. Follow along on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eET9Mkgh

✍ Today, we're publishing a new policy memo to support proactive, justice-centered climate-driven relocation in U.S. coastal cities. In the face of worsening climate impacts like sea level rise, erosion, and storm surge, the intentional movement of people away from climate-vulnerable areas to more resilient neighborhoods will be necessary to provide lasting safety for coastal residents. By leveraging federal resources and working directly with impacted communities, coastal cities have an opportunity to shape an equitable and innovative national framework for climate-driven relocation. The principles and recommendations in our memo will help ensure the wellbeing of communities who will need to leave the floodplain in the decades to come. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dpgbmD9u

🌊 Join us for Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice! 🌊 Experts from across the country are converging on DC for #Upwell2024 to talk about #OceanJustice & you don’t want to miss it! Upwell is an intentionally created space that prioritizes the experiences and voices of experts from historically marginalized communities in ocean conservation. This all-day event will feature expert panel discussions, a plenary speaker, networking opportunities, and much more! The event will be held in-person in Washington D.C. and will also be streamed live. 🌅 Save the date: https://lnkd.in/gHXpcTyQ Hosted by Azul, Center for American Progress, and Urban Ocean Lab. Supported by Earthjustice, Green 2.0, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Ocean Defense Initiative, and made possible with the support of generous funders. 🦀 Missed the event last year? You can watch a recap here: https://lnkd.in/gZm5k7_2

UOL analyst Alex Miller is joining Urban Design Forum on April 10th for a discussion on how New York City can advance more equitable adaptation strategies for communities in the floodplain. Learn more below! ⤵️