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.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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