Infrastructure
Breakdown of categories
Policy
Community
Climate planning
Sustainability plans are up-to-date
Roads, highways, public transit, power grid, are well-protected
All community members are enfranchised and involved
Planning/management strategies incorporate the latest research
Madison
Minneapolis
Baltimore
Philadelphia
Ann Arbor
Chicago
Austin
Phoenix
Denver
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Seattle
Portland
Infrastructure
Policy
Community
Climate planning
The Pacific Northwest is the best overall region for escaping the brunt of climate change in the US. Seattle is one of the most well-positioned cities here.
Seattle, WA
Infrastructure
Policy
Community
Climate planning
Portland was the first US city to come up with a plan to prepare for climate change.
Portland, OR
Infrastructure
Policy
Community
Climate planning
As one of the most recently developed cities in the US, San Francisco is better equipped to deal with many natural disasters.
San Francisco, CA
Infrastructure
Policy
Climate planning
Ann Arbor has a long history of climate change planning that makes it highly adaptable to a warmer planet.
Ann Arbor, MI
Infrastructure
Policy
Community
Climate planning
Minneapolis has access to tremendous water resources and benefits from a good climate-action plan and well-coordinated systems of emergency management and planning.
Minneapolis, MN
Infrastructure
Policy
Climate planning
Madison scores well on most of the metrics that environmental planners are looking at, such as policy, community organization, and infrastructure.
Madison, WI
Infrastructure
Policy
Climate planning
Chicago has taken measures to boost organization and community building, and that makes it a good candidate for future resilience.
Chicago, IL
Infrastructure
Policy
Climate planning
Denver benefits from new infrastructure and lots of what environmentalists call "smart planning."
Denver, CO
Policy
Climate planning
Salt Lake City has made a lot of progress in the past few years when it comes to preparing for natural disasters and emergencies with forward-looking policies and climate plans.
Salt Lake City, UT
Policy
Community
Climate planning
Phoenix faces substantial threats from higher temperatures and drought, but researchers there are doing a good job of working with the community to identify vulnerabilities.
Phoenix, AZ
Infrastructure
Climate planning
Researchers and officials in Austin are planning for a warmer planet and ramping up infrastructure to tackle climate change.
Austin, TX
Infrastructure
Climate planning
Philadelphia is putting private and public funds toward investing in public works like transit, parks, and a resilient energy grid.
Philadelphia, PA
Infrastructure
Climate planning
Baltimore is investing heavily in "green infrastructure" — systems designed to prepare the city for climate change and ensure things like water supply and transit are up and running no matter what.
Baltimore, MD
Click on the cities to learn why they are the best to escape the effects of climate change:
