It was a year ago today that former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg issued the city’s roadmap for how to adapt to the future risks of climate change – a massive post-Sandy report called A Stronger, More Resilient New York.
It was also that day that we launched AdaptNY, a unique experiment to improve media coverage of and participatory decision-making in the climate adaptation process. Our aims:
- To track relevant reporting and information through our social “front page” and Twitter.
- To document and report the story, including with a major investigative report in partnership with Gotham Gazette and ongoing collection of primary-source materials.
- To encourage virtual and face-to-face conversation, including with a grant-funded resilience design workshop
Ultimately, AdaptNY’s work is to ensure New York’s stakeholders have a real and informed voice in this massive urban planning initiative (more here, here and here)
One way we started this process a year ago was by working to analyze that 438-page Bloomberg resiliency report. With the aid of sister publication City Atlas, last summer we rolled out a series of summaries that we hoped would make it possible to quickly take in its most important findings and recommendations.
But we didn’t stop there. We wanted to keep putting the city’s planning under close scrutiny so it could be better understood and improved upon. To do that, we asked your help and made it easy for you to weigh in with your views. With partner DocumentCloud, we developed an innovative way for you to make your own notes directly on the Bloomberg report. Here’s more about how our public annotation system works.
It’s easy to share your thoughts – just go to the resilience plan, log in using one of your usual social networks and let everyone know what you think!
We continue to develop new ways for you to take part in the conversation, and to let the current de Blasio administration hear your voice about this all-important issue. In the near future, for instance, we hope to introduce a new and improved version of our document annotation tool, as we continue to track reports and initiatives from City Hall, such as updates on the ailing Build It Back housing recovery program, or annual reports on resilience planning. Watch this space for more news.
Make your voice heard on the climate adaptation debate. The future of our city depends on it.