Building Community Resilience: Comprehensive Plan Recommendations for Climate Mitigation & Adaptation

Session 4A | Wednesday | 3:45 – 5:15 PM PT

Presentation PDF
About the Session

Washington's Growth Management Act does not require communities to plan specifically for climate change, and yet, our communities are experiencing the effects of a changing climate from more intense storms, to increased risks of flooding and more severe wildfires, to name just a few. Over the past two years, students in Western Washington University's urban planning program have worked with smaller jurisdictions to recommend mitigation and adaptation strategies for their comprehensive plans. The ultimate goal is to help these communities be more resilient and adaptable to changing climate conditions in ways that are acceptable and supported by their community members. This session will highlight case studies from our work, and share our methods, so that other jurisdictions can begin integrating similar types of climate-friendly language into their comp plans.

About the Moderator

Lindsey MacDonald
Western Washington University

Lindsey MacDonald is the Associate Director for WWU's Sustainability Engagement Institute, which houses the Sustainable Communities Partnership program. She manages this program and also teaches sustainability and leadership courses at WWU. Since receiving her B.S. in environmental studies and M.S. in conservation ecology from the University of Michigan, she has facilitated community-engaged learning for students for seven years.

About the Speakers

Tamara Laninga, AICP
Western Washington University

Dr. Tamara (Tammi) Laninga, AICP, is an associate professor in the Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy Department at Western Washington University (WWU). She teaches land use regulations, environmental impact assessment, community development, and planning studio. Dr. Laninga has a decade of experience facilitating student/community partnerships. She graduated from WWU with a B.S. in Environmental Policy and earned an M.A. in Geography and a Ph.D. in Planning and Design, both from the University of Colorado.

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