Cincinnati launches nation's first 'Climate Migration Readiness Plan'

Cincinnati, Ohio's new Climate Migration Readiness Plan aims to prepare the city for the need to relocate due to climate change, writes Robyn Griggs Lawrence in Smart Cities Dive.

The plan is the first municipal guide to climate change in the nation. "Citing data showing that climate migration and broader domestic relocation trends could result in more than half a million new residents in the Cincinnati region by 2050, the plan outlines guiding principles to ensure neighborhoods remain stable, residents aren’t displaced, housing supply and infrastructure investments align, and the city remains welcoming and friendly."

The plan acknowledges the city's low living costs and high quality of life, noting that Cincinnati's population has been increasing since 2010. "The climate migration plan builds on zoning updates and targeted housing recommendations for neighborhoods that are already under way to ensure housing availability and protect affordability because 'the right housing built too late, or in the wrong place, still produces price shocks,' the report states. To that end, it recommends prioritizing high-density housing, building along transit corridors and implementing inclusionary zoning to secure affordable housing." The city is also building its first bus rapid transit route and plans to build more bike and pedestrian infrastructure.