New York State Climate Impacts Assessment - Buildings Technical Workgroup
Client: NYSERDA
Project Dates: 2021-Ongoing
Project Team: ERG, Resource Refocus LLC, the University at Buffalo Department of Architecture, et al
Website: https://nysclimateimpacts.org/
Dr. Brown is the co-chair of the Buildings Sector Technical Workgroup for NYSERDA’s New York State Climate Impacts Assessment, a scientific investigation into how climate change is affecting communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and industries to understand and prepare for our changing climate.
The Buildings chapter first outlines sector specific climate hazards and the resulting impact of these hazards (both chronic and acute), followed by the identification of vulnerable populations and systems, and strategies for adaptation and resilience. For the building sector, chronic impacts include Increasing temperatures, winter weather, sea level rise and subsidence, indoor environmental quality, and pests. Acute impacts include hurricanes, tropical storms, and nor’easters, coastal flooding and seiches, inland floodings, severe storms (e.g. tornadoes, hail), and wildfire.
This effort highlights climate justice strategies to support investments in low-resource communities to counteract the historical lack of investment in affordable housing and the discriminatory housing policies that led to the disinvestment and deterioration of the existing housing stock.