Managed Retreat 2100
MINIMAL ACTIONS FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE
Policy Implications & Implementation Considerations
Comprehensive emotional, psychological and wellbeing support services
starting now
Climate change is an existential issue and the human response is often a spectrum of emotions. Climate grief can take the form of denial, rationalization, and discrediting science.
Health & Wellbeing
Increased funding for new and existing wellbeing programs in the community
Offer up services for community members to grapple with the changes to come
Maintain existing community support systems and ensure support systems are set up in the new location
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100
Jobs/Economy
Leverage Policy to Maintain, Grow and Support Local Economy & Jobs
The Build Community Reinvestment Act, Green New Deal, and Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act are just a few local, state, and federal policies that could be leveraged to support the people of the Rockaways facing climate change difficulties
Frontline workers, CBO's carrying out community engagement
Employ community members to go door to door to educate, inform, and gather feedback on retreat
Create jobs in demolition & remediation as people are relocated
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100
Policy
Mandate Bottom-up Comprehensive Planning through Policy Creation in government
Climate change is not going to affect every community equally; some communities, in particular communities of
color and low income communities, will experience disproportionate impacts
SDG v3
SDG v4
SDG v5
SDG v6
Include human rights and climate change into the new scope of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to come
Mandate Comprehensive Planning must be done with bottom up approach
Halt development on ecologically vulnerable sites and sites destroyed during a disaster
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SDG v2
Law
Passed
Advocacy
Implementation
Implementation
Law
Passed
Advocacy
Ecology
Proactive remediation and green infrastructure to maintain the natural ecology of the peninsula
Increased ecological programs like the RISE Dune Enhancement Program
Research to understand the effects of sea level rise on marshland in the bay
Begin remediation of vacant lots in the area for green infrastructure
Initiate work on the marsh restoration and remediation plans
Continue to remediate the land and shift to creating jobs for ongoing work
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100
Community Engagement
Retreat will have an enormous impact on the people of the Rockaways. Community lead engagement needs to build trust & understanding
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Utilize networks of Community Based Org's to build trust amongst residents — local community must lead the conversation & transition process
Educating the community about the future (climate change, sea level rise, other issues at present)
Perpetual, ongoing community workshops, climate change education, and relocation assistance
Creation of a community engagement taskforce
Ongoing formal & informal community engagement meeting residents where they are — physically, emotionally, and awareness level
Housing
Prioritize choice of housing for vulnerable & underserved populations.
Residents with greater means will have increase mobility and choice in actions in response to climate change. They will need less assistance and be the first to retreat or adapt. Avoid a repeat of the 1950s
Identify varying needs of homeowners, private renters, and public housing tenants through public engagement and CBOs discussions
Prioritize engagement with vulnerable populations that have the least mobility & resources to retreat
Identify needs & strategize for intermediary housing of public housing/subsidized housing tenants
Begin relocation of individuals and famlies
Begin group based migration, based upon results of the "Relocation Engagement Framework" workshop engagement
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100
Around 2050 — ground based transportation will impacted by sea rise.
Alternatives, engagement, and education for the community need to happen simultaneously while city and regional transportation agencies plan for service changes
Transit & Access
Maintain physical transportation infrastructure that promotes relocation in neighboring communities and access during transition periods
Visioning workshops & education for residents to understand transit options based off of relocation options & jobs
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Community visioning & education to identify existing water-based economies, job creation, awareness building.
Demolition & remediation of existing infrastructure — rerouting of existing transit that will be affected
Where People Will Go
Extensive early & often community engagement, education, resources, and funds to empower people with choice
Early community engagement starts by using the "Relocation Engagement Framework" while advocating for political and governmental change
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100
Identify community stakeholders — distinct groups, populations, CBOs, community leaders to be part of the discussion and visioning
Community workshops based on the "Relocation Engagement Framework" begin.
Identification of possible places for relocation through the short/medium term workshopping for community to understand their sense of place & home not just individual aspects
Develop inclusive and equity-driven phased plan of retreat to alternative locations
Identification of new & intermediary sites for housing. Beginning moves of municipalities to work out infrastructure, social, and cultural needs of the influx of residents who are coming into a new area to live
