Climate

Unpredictable Conditions Require a Fresh Look and Implementation

Climate change permeates every service Horsley WItten Group provides and every element of our practice. The way we engage communities, approach policy reform, design infrastructure, and educate government agencies—these are all directly shaped by our changing climate. This science continues to evolve and the way in which governments across the globe are responding is incredibly diverse.

HW supports municipal, state, and federal agencies as well as private organizations in planning for climate resilience and adaptation. Our portfolio includes resilience-oriented planning and design projects in hurricane recovery zones in coastal Florida and Puerto Rico, wildfire recovery areas in Hawaii and Oregon, urban heat island and flood prone areas in Boston and Providence, and flood challenged historic districts in Newport, RI, and Portsmouth, NH. Changing conditions require a fresh look at policies, investments, and infrastructure. We help our clients understand the implications of climate change and how to plan and design accordingly, whether they are focused on a particular site or a broad region. We also help our clients implement those plans. Our work includes vulnerability assessments, resilience planning, adaptation action plans, code revisions, emergency preparedness plans, restoration and urban design, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, and engagement and training. In addition, we consider climate risk within the traditional bounds of any of our projects at HW.

We are proud to practice at the forefront of climate resilience, incorporating climate considerations and innovative perspectives across our portfolio of work at HW. A few notable projects include a Coastal Climate Adaptation Plan for the House of the Seven Gables Museum Campus in Salem, MA, a host of Municipal Vulnerability Action Plans for MA Municipalities that have led to various implementation projects, and a Downtown Vision and Neighborhood Plans for Panama City, Florida in the wake of major hurricane damage. We envision a world where people and nature thrive together.

A few Client Examples...

Hurricane Disaster Resilience Technical Assistance

HW led a Technical Assistance Team in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel, Florida. The team helped each community develop preliminary designs for resiliency projects that fit with ongoing recovery efforts and availability of additional funding. HW facilitated workshops and developed concept designs including community-wide mobility, connectivity improvements, open space and park revitalization, downtown revitalization and streetscapes, and waterfront improvements

MA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP)

MA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) programs provide municipalities with support to plan and implement climate change resiliency projects. HW clients include Newburyport, Newbury, Peabody, Brewster, Tisbury, Kingston, Taunton, Sudbury, Methuen, and Shrewsbury. Certified staff facilitate active discussions and offer expertise in natural hazard mitigation planning, emergency preparedness/response, floodplain management, ecosystem and water resources management, and municipal and environmental planning. We support project implementation and enhanced equity in the communities’ resilience activities through MVP Action Grants and MVP 2.0.

Climate Resilience Code Assessment and Revisions

HW supported the Town of Carlisle, MA in identifying a variety of code revisions to meet its climate resilience goals and identified complementary goals that can be addressed through town policies, public education, and town projects. We performed a resilience-focused audit of the zoning, land development, and environmental regulations in the Town of Cumberland, RI, with funding from the RI Infrastructure Bank. Both projects involved working with stakeholder groups, town staff, board members, and state agency staff to identify priority climate risks and code revisions.