A proposed Climate Planning Unit could help the federal government guide comprehensive climate policy and manage project costs.

A report from the Brookings Institution outlines suggestions for "how the White House can immediately kick-start climate solutions across our built environment through a new Climate Planning Unit (CPU)." The report suggests that the proposed office could "reduce the federal fiscal impacts of climate change by developing strategic intra-agency and cross-agency mitigation and adaptation projects and programs." By creating a federal office focused on climate change, the government can more effectively "identify opportunities (and outcomes) of effective climate action with direct and capturable federal financial benefits."
Federal investment in coordinated climate change policy has the potential to elevate climate concerns in development policies across the country, write Joseph W. Kane, Jenny Schuetz, Shalini Vajjhala, and Adie Tomer. "For instance, an 18F model can serve as a template for staffing, funding, and growing a new, dedicated federal unit focused on forward-looking research, metrics, and plans." The Blueprint developed by the Brookings Institution "supports the new high-level international and domestic climate leadership in the White House by establishing a stable basis for long-term, fiscally defensible, bipartisan federal climate action to complement other legislative and executive actions." The report also recommends a focus on "low-hanging fiscal fruit" that can help projects get off the ground faster and kickstart long-term efforts.
FULL STORY: How a federal Climate Planning Unit can manage built environment risks and costs

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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