Climate Safe Neighborhoods

The Climate Safe Neighborhoods Partnership

Climate Safe Neighborhoods (CSN) is a national effort through Groundwork USA to identify neighborhoods that are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of racial and social injustices, engage frontline resident leaders and partners, and ignite action towards climate resilience. CSN explores the relationship between historically race-based housing segregation and the current and predicted impacts of climate change. Effective community engagement is important for creating better policies and programs, addressing inequality, and building resilient communities. Since 2021, Groundwork Ohio River Valley (GORV) and Green Umbrella have led the CSN Partnership in Greater Cincinnati. In partnership with the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability, GORV and GU developed neighborhood Climate Advisory Groups to identify solutions to address extreme heat and flooding. Through intentional engagement with residents in priority communities, the effort honors community members as the subject matter experts in identifying local issues and co-creating community-based solutions. Residents that commit to the 8 week learning and planning effort are compensated for their time and expertise. The goal of each cohort is to develop neighborhood resilience maps as a platform for activating the residents’ vision and advocating for resources. As of early 2023, 8 neighborhoods and 38 resident leaders have created Climate Resilience Plans in Cincinnati.

The CSN Partnership also supported the community engagement efforts of the Green Cincinnati Plan by hosting four Climate Safe Community Series meetings during summer 2022. Climate Safe Community Series were single night events that brought together neighborhood residents to map their priorities for climate adaptation in their communities. The following are the resilience plans developed from these efforts, which in addition to supporting the Green Cincinnati Plan, have informed implementation efforts in the respective neighborhoods and are on the path to being adopted by some neighborhood community councils. Additional neighborhoods engaged were Avondale, the neighborhoods in the Beekman Corridor, Camp Washington, Carthage, Over-the- Rhine, and West End. The Carthage session was facilitated in Spanish. Special thanks to the more than 225 residents who attended these sessions and contributed their ideas and expertise. Thank you, as well, to the community partners that made it possible to meet residents in their own communities including: Carthage Christian Church, Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, and Working In Neighborhoods.

In 2023-2024, the CSN Partnership will be expanding its equitable community engagement efforts outside of Cincinnati and working with regional communities to support their unique needs. The team looks forward to hosting Climate Advisory Groups in Avondale and Norwood OH, and hosting a Climate Safe Community Series in Northern Kentucky in partnership with Covington KY, Dayton KY, and Newport KY.

Climate Safe Neighborhoods Tree Planting in Lower Price Hill

Meet the Team