News Article by Joe Eaton | KneeDeep Times
Mention zoning to most people and they’ll likely think of height limits, density restrictions, or, if their memories are long enough, the notorious practice of racial redlining. But local zoning ordinances and other land-use regulations are taking on a new role in communities trying to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“One of the most effective forms of hazard mitigation is through tools that we already have in place: land use and building codes,” FEMA Region 9 Mitigation Division director Kathryn Lipiecki said at last year’s California Adaptation Forum. “Where and how you build can be among the most important decisions that are made in any community.” Zoning changes addressing sea-level rise are happening from Hawaii to Florida.
In the Bay Area, the city of Burlingame, with help from a new countywide agency in San Mateo County and a climate think tank in Washington, DC, just amended its zoning code to require higher ground-floor elevations and space for protective infrastructure in new development within an area vulnerable to sea-level rise. Other cities in the county and the region may follow Burlingame’s lead…