Resilient Cambridge

Establish support hubs where local community leaders can obtain resources and meet with Emergency Management and Public Health officials. These should be paired with services provided on a regular basis, such as centers providing health services or centers providing English classes to non-English speakers.

Coordinate the structure and engagement opportunities with existing LEPC. For example, form a climate change subcommittee with expanded membership that fully integrates preparation for climate change events.

Increase Disaster behavioral response resources to ensure capacity exists for counseling and facilitation of public meetings.

Install water trailer program in partnership with Cambridge Water Department. Move the trailer around during heat waves to locations with populations at risk, such as youth, seasonal workers, seniors, or those experiencing homelessness.

Introduce "emergency kiosks" at the major squares: Porter, Harvard, Central, and Kendall. Emergency kiosks are modeled after the PREPHub by MIT Urban Risk Lab and include charging stations, emergency call buttons, water, lighting, and other amenities.

Initiate a City program to host indoor, air-conditioned events during heat waves, or provide subsidized vouchers to the movies and other cooling venues.

Expand the Cambridge 'warming center' for the homeless population to also include 'cooling center' hours.

Prepare public transportation stops for climate change impacts. Adaptation might include shade structures for all bus stops and warming lamps. At train stops, adaptation might include and emergency heat strategy.

Identify and reach out to populations at risk --including homeless population and people with addiction or mental health issues -- and their leaders to validate/select preparedness, communications, and resiliency-building strategies that work for their communities. Ensure that high-risk employee groups (e.g. construction, day laborers) are included when considering populations at risk.

Educate populations at risk, employers, healthcare providers, and in-home caregivers of medically vulnerable populations on heat and flooding risk and recognizing danger signs. For example, consider implementing action plans, such as a Heat-Health Action Plan (HHAP), with a focus on educating medical providers and developing recommendations for patient care.

Schedule home visit/assessments for vulnerable residents (e.g., older adults) during heat emergencies or after flooding events.

Develop a database of facilities and locations with concentrations of at-risk individuals to assist with response prioritization.

Update and strengthen the City of Cambridge's existing Heat Emergency Guide, potentially incorporating health surveillance data into early activation triggers.

Partner with leaders respected by at-risk populations via community resource organizations, such as faith communities and schools or other organizations that focus on high-risk individuals. This partnership could build opportunities to meet community information needs for preparedness and engagement in emergency notifications.

Introduce a new neighborhood check-in system involving block captains. A "phone tree" could use WhatsApp, or a similar platform, which is friendly to international users and relies on WiFi rather than cellular data to avoid monetary charges. A survey could be issued to determine whether a resident would like to enroll in the phone tree and if they have a "language-need" request; if the latter applies, they would be partnered with someone in their first language.

Introduce a "buddy system" for senior residents and residents living alone. Police and case manager check-ins for populations at risk, including the homeless, could be encouraged. Meet-ups could be facilitated to introduce the "buddies" to one another; this also helps address everyday social isolation. The resident can elect to be part of a "buddy circle" if it is more preferable to them than one-on-one interactions.

Track and expand the City-led emergency notification text service.

Include training and resources to assess symptoms of those in distress and arrange for transport and care.

Help companies, institutions, and business associations prepare and regularly update a disaster preparedness, management, and recovery plan.

Provide a forum for companies, institutions, and business associations to participate in a bi/tri-annual disaster simulation training exercise organized by state, local, and federal disaster management agencies.

Facilitate contingency plans for all City employees to adjust to extreme events and "new normal." This will help ensure business continuity and avoid loss of employment due to climate change stresses.

Ensure resilient infrastructure supports business continuity including resilient transportation systems for accessibility (refer to C3).

Build/protect critical community facilities to the 2070 10-year-flood elevation from precipitation or sea level rise (SLR/storm surge, whichever is higher). Refer to strategies B1 and B3 outlining the toolbox/actions for protection.

Design community facilities to recover to the 2070 100-year-flood elevation from precipitation or SLR/storm surge, whichever is higher. Refer to strategies B1 and B3 outlining the toolbox/actions for recovery.

Provide for new and existing critical community facilities to be resilient to future heat risks identified for the neighborhood. Refer to strategies B2 and B4 outlining the toolbox/action for heat resiliency.

Maintain continuity of operations during extreme events and under "new normal," with a focus on making sure all employees have contingency plans both at work and at home. Refer to A5.

Maintain a resilient transportation and transit infrastructure to ensure mobility and evacuation routes during and after climate shocks and stresses. Refer to C3.

"Update and strengthen the City of Cambridge's existing Heat Emergency Response Guide to potentially include: 1. health surveillance data into activation triggers. 2. automatic notification of partners triggered by heat index. 3. an increase in outreach to homeless individuals."

Plan to address enhanced aggravation of health conditions specific to heat waves and flooding.

Provide public guidance on reducing risks from home-prepared food, including proper sanitizing techniques, guidance on spoilage, and common-sense information on when to discard food and other perishables.

Advise on damage to perishable goods, proper handling, and appropriate mold remediation practices.

Inspect establishments permitted to serve and sell food after flooding or loss of power.

Assess and advise on general hygiene, habitability, trash and rodent control, as well as hazardous building and utility conditions. If inspections find live electricity that could pose a hazard, request utility companies repair and restore service.

Provide a list of qualified contractors to remove water damage and restore laboratories to full operational status.

Increase resident awareness and enrollment in the Cambridge Code Red emergency notification system.

Increase knowledge of the healthcare workforce and allied professionals who conduct home visits, or are home care staff, to help identify vulnerabilities and educate patients on risks. Heat-Health Action Plans should focus on educating providers and developing recommendations for patient care. Healthcare workers should educate patients on health risks, work with their patients to develop prevention tactics, and educate their patients on when to seek help during a heat emergency.

Work with healthcare service providers (specifically for seniors and individuals with disabilities) to establish closer relationships (such as Community Health Worker programs) and agree to share information on current patients in the event they may be impacted by an emergency (storm, flooding, heat). Support development of contingency plans by families if primary caretaker cannot get to individual at the time of the emergency event.

Work with pharmacies to ensure continuity of services and integrate them into the emergency response structure. Identify early triggers for emergency medication access to go into effect and a corresponding alert to residents.

Work with healthcare partners, including long-term care facilities and the MA Region 4AB Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition, to strengthen emergency response and evacuation plans and ensure continuity of operations during a widespread, regional event with staffing shortages.

Ensure agreements are in place between key organizations and providers, transportation services, etc. Identify means of healthcare and allied community resources to secure financial coverage for emergency response.

Identify and reach out to populations at risk directly and through informal community leaders, the faith community, and community service providers to validate/select preparedness, communications, and resiliency-building strategies and systems that work for their communities. Ensure that homeless, students and high-risk populations are included when considering populations at risk.

"Design asset-based climate change engagement campaigns that: 1. Address concerns among at-risk populations (e.g., safety, comfortable heating and cooling, health disparities, job security). 2. Build upon strengths and capacity of neighborhood residents, workers, students, workplaces, and community-based organizations (e.g., social, faith-based, educational, advocacy). "

Compile resource listings and design culturally and linguistically appropriate educational and outreach materials with tailored messages. Disseminate resources locally via neighbors, peers, and other trusted channels of communication to increase family, school, workplace, and neighborhood mutual support for advocacy and preparedness.

Engage in activities that build social connections between neighborhood residents, help foster neighborhood cohesion and resilience, and elevate community voices to advance community driven climate solutions. Block parties and volunteer projects that address climate change are suitable activities.

Host educational climate preparedness workshops at public library branches and with community resource organizations (align with toolkit audiences: renter, small business owner, etc.).

Initiate a campaign for climate awareness. The City could distribute MVP toolkits to all residents describing resources available (FloodViewer, Toolkit, Programs, etc.), and how to prepare for climate events such as heat and flood (evaluating your risk, recommended prevention steps, checking in on others, symptoms of excessive heat exposure, etc.).

Host a climate-related community meals dinner series where a community leader presents information in a simple, understandable way.

Reach out to neighborhoods with high percentages of minority communities.

Develop equity and accessibility guidelines for climate information that will be included in the educational information on climate change preparedness.

Establish a disaster emergency housing relief fund for affordable housing developers and property managers.

Establish a climate-emergency rental assistance program for tenants who cannot pay rent due to the consequences of a climate-related event (could include job loss, damage to property, injury).

Pass a policy that streamlines eviction moratoriums during a disaster or a disaster recovery period.

Coordinate with housing courts to convey intent to protect tenants during climate events from notices-to-quit from landlords.

Build/protect to the 2070 10-year flood elevation from precipitation or sea level rise/storm surge - whichever is higher. "Build to" is to design habitable spaces and critical systems above the 2070 10% flood elevation. "Protect" habitable uses and critical systems is to provide dry flood-proofing up to the 2070 10% flood elevation. Design to "build" or "protect" from future flooding which could occur during the expected lifespan of a building.

Recover from the 2070 100-year flood elevation from precipitation or sea level rise/storm surge - whichever is higher. The intent is to allow flooding of non-habitable areas and install areas that can be easily cleaned or repaired after a 2070 1% event. The intent is for buildings to "recover" faster from flooding following more extreme events by installing materials that can be easily cleaned or repaired.

Elevate or protect vulnerable utilities, such as fuel storage, furnaces, and electrical panels above 2070 100-year flood elevation.

Avoid using finished basements as living space if at risk of flooding.

Design buildings with passive strategies including building orientation, high performance insulation and windows, shading, and natural ventilation, and cool or green roofs.

Design buildings with high-performance building envelope (e.g., R-value of 20 minimum wall insulation, R-value of 40 minimum roof insulation, and U-factor of 0.3 minimum glazing) and limit air leakage (less than or equal to 3 air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 pascals).

Design buildings to meet the Passive House Institute U.S. Certification.

Utilize mixed-mode ventilation systems, which include passive cooling, and install ceiling fans where applicable.

Install rooftops with a minimum solar reflectance index (SRI) of 82 (for rooftop slopes less than 10 degrees) and 39 (for rooftops over 10 degrees), non-roof surfaces with a minimum solar reflectance of 0.33, or install green roofs (structural capacity dependent).

Maintain mature trees on private and public property. To help shade buildings, plant new trees, where possible, and install trellises and other site features with vegetation.

Retrofit/protect to the 2070 10-year flood elevation from precipitation or sea level rise/storm surge, whichever is higher as determined by the City's FloodViewer.

Retrofit to recover to the 2070 100-year flood elevation from precipitation or sea level rise/storm surge, whichever is higher as determined by the City's FloodViewer.

Elevate or protect vulnerable utilities, such as fuel storage, furnaces, and electrical panels above 2070 100-year flood elevation as determined by the City's FloodViewer.

Use flood resilient construction materials below the 2070 10-year flood elevation as determined by the City's FloodViewer.

Relocate living spaces out of basements if at risk of flooding on the FloodViewer.

Maximize opportunities for natural ventilation and upgrading building mechanical systems, and install ceiling fans (where applicable) for improved passive survivability.

Install backup solar energy and storage power systems, and separate ciruits for critical building loads including air-conditioning.

Retrofit rooftops with a minimum Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of 82 (for rooftop slopes less than 10 degrees) and 39 (for rooftop slopes over 10 degrees), non-roof surfaces with a minimum solar reflectance of 0.33, or install cool or green roofs (structural capacity dependent).

Replace windows with low-emittance (low-e) glass windows with a U-value maximum of 0.03.

Encourage temperature control settings to mitigate higher temperatures during the summertime.

Encourage LEED certification for existing buildings.

Require that commercial and multi-family residential buildings over ten units have a maintenance plan and emergency plan for maintaining, at a minimum, basic services during and after flood and heat events.

Require that new buildings include building management systems/smart thermostats and energy management systems.

Ensure that all new buildings are "generator ready" and there are transfer switches and quick-connect outlets for existing buildings.

Consider distributed energy systems (on-site generation) that allow autonomy in new buildings during outages.

Increase tree and vegetative cover and maintain existing green spaces to help buffer heat and flooding.

"Implement on-site store/retain/delay strategies for stormwater. Refer to LEED ""sustainable sites"" and ""water efficiency"" sections for guidelines and implementation. Possible approaches or technologies include. 1. Using porous (pervious) pavement for driveways and parking stalls. 2. Installing bioretention basins, such as rain gardens, tree boxes, infiltration planters. 3. Installing green roofs. 4. Harvesting rainwater using bue roofs, rain barrels, etc. "

Preserve and increase tree and vegetative coverage; plant roots absorb water and foliage protects against heat. Revegetate when possible.

Amend Cambridge Flood Protection Overlay Districts (Section 20.70 of Zoning Ordinance) to include projected 2070 10-year (10% probability) events.

Update City of Cambridge Zoning (Article 5.0) dimensional standards to include building height exceptions to factor in flood elevation requirements.

Adopt, in the zoning code, a model "resiliency district" that describes the characteristics a prepared community would like to see in new developments.

Advocate for the Massachusetts building code 780 CMR to modify the definition of base flood elevation to anticipate 2070 flood elevation.

Create tools and resources to enforce the energy code, especially for commercial buildings; advocate for State policies that encourage on-site renewables and zoning barriers, such as the ability to serve residents in multiple buildings and ground-mounted solar.

Encourage insurance companies to provide discounts for basic resiliency improvements.

Identify funding sources for homeowners to incentivize utility improvements.

Promote and incentivize programs that encourage weatherization, upgrading building envelope, and shading buildings for improved passive survivability.

Create incentives for stormwater catchment overlay districts to encourage and support implementation of GI in strategic locations where they will have the most impact.

Identify potential blocks and study the effectiveness of special incentive zones.

Convene resilient block task force groups under the guidance of the City to focus on developing an implementation plan.

Create partnerships to cross boundaries of private and public land to create connected green solutions to stormwater flooding and UHI reduction.

Implement improved roofs, such as cool roofs, solar PV, blue roofs, and green roofs, on every building.

Increase tree canopy in both the private and public realm.

Use green infrastructure and light-colored surfaces on the ground between buildings.

Upgrade building envelopes to maintain indoor temperature and reduce energy consumption.

Add solar PV systems to building roofs, which can be connected to battery backup for redundancy during a power outage.

Install a backup generator to ensure that emergency power is available.

Develop design guidelines for preparing historic buildings and critical facilities for climate change.

Build/retrofit critical facilities to the 2070 100-year (1% probability) event.

Develop flood operations plans for the City's critical facilities.

Evaluate building a vegetated berm at the Design Flood Elevation (DFE) for the 2070 100-year (1% probability) event along the Fresh Pond Golf Course.

Evaluate building a flood wall at the Design Flood Elevation (DFE) for the 2070 100-year (1% probability) event along the perimeter of Fresh Pond.

Evaluate hardening overhead lines.

Analyze sectioning and increasing redundancies in the utility distribution system.

Evaluate elevating and protecting Cambridge substations.

Evaluate the implementation of "Smart Grid" technology.

Advocate for State to develop a program that funds the development of microgrids at critical facilities.

Protect utilities serving the MBTA, such as energy, telecommunications, and water.

Plan for alternative evacuation routes.

Evaluate a distributive, multi-modal transportation network by completing the street grid and making better connections and redundancies to the MBTA subway.

Evaluate the installation of flood barriers around the MBTA station.

Provide detour routes around flooded roadways.

Continue the City's sewer separation program and evaluate implementation of sewer separation program in remaining combined sewer catchment area CAM001.

Evaluate implementation of sewer separation program in remaining combined sewer catchment area CAM002.

Evaluate implementation of sewer separation program in remaining combined sewer catchment area CAM401A/B.

Implement large stormwater storage projects (like PL6 and Morgan tanks in the Port).

Conduct a pilot study of GI in public rights-of-way (PROW) and private property in the Port neighborhood.

Study retrofit options for City parks to increase tree canopy and manage stormwater runoff.

Maintain an Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) removal database of projects and opportunities to identify and prioritize where green and gray infrastructure strategies can best mitigate flooding and maximize cobenefits.

Evaluate retrofit opportunities for City parcels, parking lots and within PROW where green and gray infrastructure strategies overlap objectives/requirements with MS4 permitting.

Evaluate updating the criterion for "25:2" compensatory stormwater storage requirement to use either 2030 or 2070 design storms for new development.

Evaluate the combination of gray and green infrastructure to meet stormwater requirements for all new development.

Evaluate updating requirements to include on-site solar PV and storage systems at critical facilities and residential developments.

Investigate opportunities for small- to medium-sized CHP (Combined Heat and Power) systems and district ground source heating and cooling systems.

Evaluate building microgrids consisting of generation and storage, and evaluate a smart, controlled network.

Enable community energy systems for individual households and businesses to invest and benefit from.

Evaluate potential for installation of depressed planters (curbside bioretention, median bioswales) in medium-density residential parcels in conjunction with street improvement projects, or to pilot Cool Corridors concept.

Initiate a program to identify and retrofit catch basins (with the highest GI flood mitigation and co-benefit opportunity areas) and replace these with leaching catch basins, where feasible.

Study retrofit options for City parks to increase tree canopy, while also managing stormwater runoff.

Implement GI in PROW and private property in the Port neighborhood.

Build and upgrade telecommunication facilities in the City and within the regional system to the City's resilient building guidelines. This would be a key component in providing for a resilient network.

Research system platforms that enhance the climate resiliency of the telecommunication network in the City and the region.

Increase trees along streets, in parking lots, and areas with a high percentage of impervious area, and incentivize private property owners to preserve existing trees and plant new trees.

Adopt a comprehensive urban forest management plan, implement actions, and continue urban forest maintenance as recommended in the Urban Forest Master Plan.

Enhance the Tree Protection Ordinance.

Promote existing tree planting programs and expand community outreach and engagement.

Target street trees and PROW (public-rights-of-way) planting, particularly along heavy pedestrian traffic corridors.

Add additional permanent or flexible shaded structures at outdoor bus waiting areas.

Conduct a feasibility analysis to better understand opportunities for replacing existing pervious pavement or vegetated areas if possible, and consider high Solar Reflctance Index (SRI) paving where pervious, vegetated areas are not possible.

Set clear guidelines to be integrated into zoning for greening of private parcels; this should encourage improvements that also benefit the public realm.

Evaluate revegetating paved areas and parking lots.

Evaluate reducing parking lot sizes using porous paving or increasing shaded areas (trees or shading structure).

Evaluate installing green roofs on new buildings and existing buildings.

Proceed with a comprehensive analysis of the vegetated area citywide to complement the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis developed for the CCPR.

Reduce impervious surfaces on City-owned properties.

Evaluate installation of raised planters in medium-density residential parcels in conjunction with street improvement projects.

Evaluate the potential to include bioretention basins in retrofitting medium-density residential parcels and in new high-density residential parcels, new light industrial development, public open space, and PROW.

Evaluate using porous pavement and permeable pavers for residential driveways, new streets, and parking lots of commercial parcels. Evaluate installation of green roofs in retrofitting existing commercial buildings, new light industrial buildings, and new high-density residential development.

Develop an education program for residents and public schools on local GI opportunities that benefit the local UHI.

Integrate green and gray infrastructure recommendations into the identification, planning, and design for future projects (e.g., priority infilatration and inflow removal projects, sewer separation projects, Chapter 90 roadway projects, pilot Cool Corridor concepts, private site development review, municipal stormwater retrofits).

Develop a City Open Space Plan integrating retrofit projects to increase tree canopy and new parks to provide cool, outdoor areas for public enjoyment.

Enhance contiguous planted areas along the PROW, such as cool streets.

Study options for new or improved parks or publicly accessible open spaces.

Consider zoning change for a green roof ordinance or program to incentivize the creation of new green roofs that are ideally publicly accessible, or at least accessible to residents or workers.

Partner with large property owners and institutions to improve green open spaces and promote use by the public.

Advocate for facilities that provide cooling activities throughout the City, such as public pools, waterplays, and other water features.