Climate change impacts and urban green space adaptation efforts: Evidence from US municipal parks and recreation departments

Municipal parks and recreation departments (PRDs) have a crucial responsibility for stewarding urban and peri-urban ecology given they manage the majority of urban green spaces. However, the extent of climate adaptation planning and management activities by such agencies at the national level is unknown. This study aimed to fill this gap by conducting a national survey of the directors of PRDs (n = 413) to understand the progress and drivers of climate change adaptation efforts for urban green spaces. Overall, we found that while measured impacts of climate change were positively correlated with PRDs' climate-change adaptation plans and actions, most PRDs perceived few impacts of climate change on urban green spaces. We also found that levels of adaptation varied across ecoregions, with direct experiences with climate change impacts being a primary contributor to action. These findings indicate that U.S. municipal PRDs are unprepared for the changing climate and are unlikely to initiate urban green space adaptation planning and action until substantial climate change impacts are experienced firsthand.

Automated summary

This study conducted a national survey of 413 directors of PRDs in the U.S. and found that most PRDs perceived few impacts of climate change on urban green spaces, with direct experiences being a primary driver of action. This indicates that U.S. municipal PRDs are unprepared for the changing climate and need to improve their adaptation efforts.