SESSION: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATIONS
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Project: New Level of Infrastructure Planning, City of Cambridge, MA
Rich Niles., Senior Project Manager, AMEC
Nathalie Beauvais. AICP MOAQ Intl. Assoc. AIA LEED AP, Kleinfelder
AMEC is one of the technical leads for the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts as a
subcontractor to Kleinfelder, Inc. The City of Cambridge has been working for over two decades to address a variety of environmental issues
and has recognized climate change as an increasing concern requiring attention. The City wishes to evaluate and prepare to adapt to a
variety of climate change phenomena that may affect the welfare of the City and its infrastructure.
This presentation will discuss the scope of work to evaluate potential climate change related impacts to the City of Cambridge. This includes a
screening and prioritization of critical infrastructure based on existing known problems, available data and key characteristics that are unique
to the City of Cambridge (e.g., surface water supply, tidal waterfront). The Project Team and stakeholders have begun to identify and rank
vulnerabilities for further evaluation in conjunction with on-going efforts by others, such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation
(MassDOT). For example, the MassDOT is conducting a vulnerability assessment of the Central Artery tunnels to flooding and the City of
Cambridge intends to expand upon the results of this modeling effort and enhance its vulnerability assessment with respect to storm surge,
sea level rise and localized flooding.
This presentation will highlight the newest challenge that cities face to begin evaluating climate change impacts. Once the vulnerability
assessment is complete, the City of Cambridge anticipates developing a climate change preparedness plan.
Rich Niles is a Senior Project Manager with AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. and a key lead for Water Resource Services in the Northeast U.S. and the firm’s
international Climate Change Practice. Rich has been assisting communities for the last 14 years to develop and implement a variety of water resource and infrastructure
management programs. His projects encompass a wide range of expertise from stormwater management and finance programs to stream restoration, flood mitigation and
levee assessment. Rich is well suited in the management of complex multi-disciplinary projects that often involve working with stakeholder groups in multiple jurisdictions.
Nathalie Beauvais has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of architecture, urban design and planning with a strong emphasis on sustainability, climate change and
the integration of planning and engineering expertise. She is a senior member of Kleinfelder’s sustainability practice where she currently manages the team of scientists,
academics and sustainability experts conducting the City of Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan and the Massport Disaster
Infrastructure and Resiliency Planning Study. She is an author and speaker on comprehensive planning, sustainable planning and climate change. Ms. Beauvais teaches at
Wentworth Institute of Technology in the Master Program for Architecture.
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for
Cambridge, MA
A new level of infrastructure planning
Transportation Research Board Committee ADC60
Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Workshop, New York City
June 18, 2014
AMEC Environment &
Infrastructure, Inc.
and
Kleinfelder, Inc.
Photo source: City of Cambridge
Climate Change Trends
 Extreme precipitation events
 Increased flooding
 Increased temperature - heat stress & health impacts
July 2010 Street Flooding
Source: City of Cambridge
Increase in Mean and Variance
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2012
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Is this our future?
Lots of interest in climate change
phenomena and extreme weather events . . .
not all of it is based on good science.
Image Source: Boston.com
4
Shift in Thinking for Climate
Change Planning
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City of Cambridge
 6.43 sq mi (16.65 km2)
 105,162 pop.
 Density 16,422 people/mi2
Comparison of Population/mi2
 Boston: 12,900/mi2
 Los Angeles: 7,544/mi2
 New York City: 27,532/mi2
Source: Bing.com
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Drivers for Preparedness
Planning
Water
Supply
Reservoirs
Amelia
Earhart Dam
Critical
Facilities &
Infrastructure
Dense
Population
Charles
River Dam
Evacuation
Routes
Economic
Assets
Flooding
Source: Bing.com
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Scope of Work
Phase I
 Climate Change Scenarios
 Sea Level Rise
 Extreme Weather Events
 Risk & Vulnerability Assessment
 Infrastructure Assessment
 Social Environment
Phase II
 Preparedness Plan
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Phase I Overview
1. Stakeholder Engagement
2. Existing Conditions/Data Collection
& Climate Change Projections
3. Scenario Development – Boundary
Conditions
4. Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
5. Final Report
http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Climate/
climatechangeresilianceandadaptation.aspx
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Working through the process . . .

Many Players
 Varying interests
 Engaged & informed public
Technical
Advisory
Committee
Consultant
Team
Project
Steering
Committee
Expert
Advisory
Panel
Public
Workshops
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Data Collection
(example)
DRAFT
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Data Collection
(example)
DRAFT
12
Data Collection
(example)
DRAFT
13
Project Elements & Preliminary
Analysis
Source: ATMOS, 2013
Source: ATMOS, 2013
 Climate change scenario evaluation
 Calibration with local data for Cambridge
 To be incorporated into modeling
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Leveraging Local Efforts
Map Source: The Boston
Harbor Association
Image Source: MassDOT
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MA Hurricane Study
(based on SLOSH Model)
Category 2 Hurricane
Surge Inundation
Area (dark green)
Charles River Dam:
Design High Tide = 113’
Top of Dam = 118’
Sustained winds of
96-110 mph
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Elements of Success
 Exercise due diligence to balance planning, science &
engineering analysis
 Need good local data
 Stakeholder engagement is key
 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment is becoming
an integral planning element
 Lots More Work to be Done . . .
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Questions & Contact Information
Kleinfelder
Nathalie Beauvais, Int’l Assoc. AIA, AICP, LEED AP
Senior Project Manager
215 1st Street, Suite 320
Cambridge, MA 02142
nbeauvais@kleinfelder.com
617-498-4651
City of Cambridge, MA
John Bolduc
Environmental Planner
344 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
jbolduc@cambridgema.gov
617-349-4628
AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc.
Rich Niles
Water Resources Project Manager
271 Mill Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
rich.niles@amec.com
978-392-5355
Additional Project Team Members:
Dr. Paul Kirshen, University of New Hampshire
Consensus Building Institute
Catalysis Adaptation Partners
Dr. Pat Kinney, Columbia University
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, ATMOS Research
The Resiliency Place
http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Climate/climatechangeresilianceandadaptation.aspx
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