The Equitable and People-Centered Pathway
Create a community where everyone has a voice.
Build more just, livable and inclusive communities fit to address the systemic causes of poverty and injustice while safeguarding the natural support systems for human health.
Equity's Key Role
A truly resilient community is only achievable when natural and built environments support cohesive communities in which all residents have a voice, and where diversity and cultural identities are woven into the social fabric.
Our Approach to Equitable Development
Assess
Learn from your Community
“Early and often” is our motto for community involvement in local government planning. The 3 Dimensions of Social Equity outline an Access-Participation-Opportunity model piloted in industrial-legacy cities.
Act
Integrate Equity into your Operations
ICLEI’s GreenClimateCities framework outlines an Assess-Act-Accelerate model that stands on three pillars: Equity, Climate Adaptation, and Climate Mitigation. ICLEI members that adopt this integrated climate action framework follow steps to ensure each pillar is integrated through the process.
Accelerate
Collaborate and Lead the Movement
Learn from the Urban Transitions Alliance, ICLEI’s post-industrial legacy cities that are putting equity at the core of building a green economy.
ICLEI USA People-Centered Projects
2021 SDGs Cities Challenge
8 CITIES AND COUNTIES SELECTED FOR UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG) ‘CHALLENGE’ July 14, 2021 [New York, USA]. Eight Local Governments (cities and counties) from
Unite2Green Hayward
Unite2Green empowered the Jackson Triangle to strengthen its climate resiliency action Higher than average temperatures and poor air quality, exacerbated by climate change are threats
Innovative Forest Carbon and Consumption-Based GHG Inventory
Philipstown’s Sink, Store, Reduce, Offset GHG inventory was developed in partnership between resident-action group, The Climate Smart Communities Task Force of Philipstown, local community empowerment nonprofit the
More Projects
- Integrated Climate Action Planning cohorts walk local governments through a multi-month, live group-training experience.
- Social equity in planning workshops offer governments an interactive opportunity to engage with the who-why-how of equitable planning.
- ICLEI members Baltimore and Pittsburgh are using spatial mapping and local champions to establish a baseline for equitable planning, sometimes presented as equity indicators.
- Hayward, CA, and ICLEI’s Unite2Green pilots a youth climate ambassador program in an underserved neighborhood.
ICLEI USA People-Centered Cohorts
Cohorts are guided group technical assistance programs that guide communities to results. Learn More.
Regional Climate Collaborative Cohort (RC3)
No Longer Offering This Cohort This 12-month curated guide of ICLEI’s five pathways: low emission, resilient, circular, nature-based, and equitable is an introduction to holistic
Sustainable Development Goals Cohort
The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that local and subnational governments are key stakeholders to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To
Sustainability Planning Cohort
This capacity-building cohort provides structured technical assistance to guide local governments through the steps necessary to develop a Sustainability Plan. A sustainability plan addresses social,
ICLEI USA People-Centered Resources
Cities Tackling Urban Heat Equity With Cool Roofs and Surfaces
Urban structures including buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat — contributing to “islands” of high temperatures in cities and towns
COVID-19 and the Future of Our Cities: Green Architecture
Unlike any other moment in recent memory, the importance of accessibility to urban green spaces and public realms has taken on new significance. The proven
From Unconscious Bias to Conscious ‘Inclusifying’ in Local Governments and Environmental Organizations
Author and Top 30 thought leader Dr. Stefanie Johnson shows why institutional diversity and inclusion is more important than ever amidst Covid-19 and Black Lives
More Resources
- Learn from The Urban Transitions Alliance, ICLEI’s network of industrial-legacy cities including Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, in an equity-centered webinar series.
- Join the conversation! The ICLEI Community Climate Equity “neighborhood” is our facilitated discussion group for members to engage with the pathway.
People-Centered Testimonials
"As a coastal community, Hoboken has directly felt the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and more frequent storms. At the same time, we’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars adapting to the realities of climate change, Big Oil companies have engaged in a decades-long campaign of misinformation that has contributed to global warming which has disproportionately impacted our residents. It’s time these companies pay their fair share and be held accountable for their actions."
"Reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 will require strong leadership and dedication, and while it will be hard, Flagstaff can meet this challenge and turn current risks into future opportunities that are accessible to all residents equally. We are indebted to the community members that brought this initiative forward, specifically Flagstaff’s youth, and look forward to working with them to achieve this critical goal."
“[ICLEI’s equity] workshop opened our eyes to how important stakeholder ownership is for achieving engagement in climate resiliency activities within our city government. It helped us address the paralysis caused from the perceived enormity of mitigation actions; we now recognize that the steps we can take will not be as hard as people imagine, and will ultimately save money. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we are planning to use the ICLEI workshop as a catalyst for additional dialogue-inducing workshops.”
