The need for climate-adaptive infrastructure.

Climate change-related extreme weather is highlighting inadequate infrastructure to mitigate such risks. The recent tragic California wildfires follow other unprecedented events in the last decade- flooding, hurricanes, heat, drought. A critical issue is the ability to finance adequate infrastructure and use land use planning to mitigate various regional risks. Unfortunately, last year the Supreme Court threw roadblocks at a common method (impact fees) for local communities to finance new infrastructure (roads, fire protection, water supply, etc.) to support new development. Ironically, the case involved a landowner building a house in a remote California community designated as needing infrastructure upgrades. A recent article explores troubling signs as to how the Supreme Court may balance real-estate development property rights with community infrastructure financing/land use planning. See, Financing infrastructure.