On April 5, 2018, a Citizens’ Petition for Zoning Amendments was filed with the Cambridge City Clerk. Click Climate Zoning Petition Packet to access the filing packet. It contains:

1. Cover Letter
2. Zoning Petition
3. Narrative climate zoning
4. FAQs climate zoning
5. Maps: Heat Maps climate zoning and Flood Maps climate zoning

The purpose of the city-wide zoning petition is to protect the health and safety of the residents and businesses of Cambridge from the serious threats of significantly increased flooding and extreme heat identified in the City’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA), completed last year. The studies conclude that the impact of climate change will be both severe and city-wide.

The petition proposes the creation of a new Section 22.80-Green Factor in the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance to address community health and safety citywide in light of extreme heat and to improve open space, tree cover, green infrastructure, and stormwater management. It will also amend Section 20.70-Floodplain Overlay District to expand the floodplain zone to the new delineations shown in the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, and add common-sense provisions to building and site design within the Floodplain Overlay District. These changes are primarily focused on preparing for future climate impacts and on improving overall climate resiliency and community health and safety within the District.

We expect it to be on the City Council Agenda for April 23 and will post updates here.

See the Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience page for all City reports and resources.