Eastern Coachella Valley Action Plan for Climate Resilience
The Eastern Coachella Valley Action Plan for Climate Resilience is a roadmap to identify and prioritize projects that increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and provide equitable access to housing. Dudek worked with local stakeholders and regional agencies to craft this award-winning plan.
Project Facts
- Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG)
- Coachella Valley, California
- Provides implementation guidance to secure grant funding for environmental justice projects
- Won APA Inland Empire Section award for Innovation in Green Community Planning
The Challenge
The eastern Coachella Valley includes low-income communities most profoundly threatened by extreme heat and lack of access to community services. These threats are not well reflected in statewide environmental justice metrics used to allocate funding. The Eastern Coachella Valley’s Action Plan for Climate Resilience was needed to provide technical guidance to local governments to create grant-competitive projects and bring climate resilience funding to the region.
The Solution
Dudek led the team preparing the Eastern Coachella Valley’s Action Plan for Climate Resilience by working with local stakeholders and regional agencies. Our team created unique project evaluation score sheets to outline how community-generated projects could be improved to maximize their potential points. Dudek planners worked with members of the public to create a network of projects in each neighborhood that would transform the community. We also reviewed local plans and ordinances and evaluated them against grant guidelines and best practices to provide the groundwork for meaningful and integrated environmental justice.
The Impact
The Final Action Plan serves as an implementing document to fund green infrastructure, affordable housing, parks, and transportation projects with broad community support and specific funding sources. The project won a Merit Award for Innovation in Green Community Planning from the American Planning Association – Inland Empire Section.
What We Did
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