Communities across California are increasingly facing costly damages and disruptions brought on by climate change. Leaders have the power to mitigate these effects and advance adaptation and community resiliency by focusing on early preparation, efficient use of resources, and sustainable development.
Harris navigates the complex technical and political issues that are unique to each agency and builds custom solutions that address complex regulatory, political, and diverse stakeholder environments.
As stewards of public resources, leaders are constantly faced with difficult choices. The need to balance existing resources with an eye toward future generations while striving for equity and fiscal responsibility is of utmost importance. Harris’ guidance helps achieve sustainable development’s triple-bottom-line benefits: social, environmental, and financial. We advise agencies on decisions and investments that yield both immediate and long-term dividends.
Climate change is impacting communities across California differently. Whether experiencing wildfire, drought, extreme heat, flooding or sea level rise, opportunities to take action look different from region to region. Harris has a breadth of experience spanning urban, suburban, and rural settings, and specializes in building practical, feasible, creative solutions that fit the individual fiscal and socioeconomic circumstances of agencies. Harris has the experience to navigate highly complex climate planning projects through a multi-disciplinary approach which seeks to advance equity and strengthen communities while balancing land use considerations and regulatory compliance in a cost efficient manner.
Related People
Brochure
Blogposts
Key Insights from the 2023 California Adaptation Forum
Weathering the Storms: Planning for and Responding to California’s Severe Climate Events
Visualizing Risk: Preparing for Extreme Precipitation
Visualizing Risk: 4 Apps to Assess Sea Level Rise Vulnerability
A Review of California’s Statewide Climate Adaptation Policies
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Staff Support + Advisory Services
Staff Support + Advisory Services
The dynamic regulatory environment in which local governments operate requires a deep understanding of planning concepts and a project team with the experience to navigate to successful and transparent outcomes. Harris offers strategic staff support to help answer complex questions and develop legally sound approaches. Our team leverages cross-functional expertise to consider every perspective and provide our clients with sound advice.
- Strategic Consulting
- Policy Development and Implementation
- Public Engagement
- Strategic Consulting
- Policy Development and Implementation
- Public Engagement
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CEQA and Legislative Compliance
CEQA and Legislative Compliance
Harris specializes in the development of program-level, tiered, and project-specific services in support of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We tailor our approach to meet the unique needs of our clients and our staff has earned an esteemed reputation for providing high quality, legally defensible documents that are easily understood by the general public. The team specializes in the development of greenhouse gas emissions and climate adaptation technical guidance to satisfy the requirements of state laws including AB 1279, SB 743, and SB 379.
- GHG Technical Guidance and Reporting
- AB 1279, SB 743, SB 379 Consistency
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Climate Mitigation Planning
Climate Mitigation Planning
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical to reducing the effects from climate change for current and future generations. Harris customizes climate plans to suit the needs of our clients, and that meet climate mitigation goals while improving the health and resilience of communities.
- Climate Action Plans
- Decarbonization Plans
- Sustainability Plans
- Climate Elements
- LEED for Cities and Communities
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Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning
Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning
Harris delivers a tailored approach to help local governments build increased resilience into the most important community systems. Whether updates to general plans, standalone vulnerability and adaptation plans, and/or infrastructure assessments, we factor community and economic considerations into the process to identify potential risks and improve communities’ ability to recover from shocks to critical systems from natural disasters and exacerbating impacts caused by climate change.
- Environmental Justice and Safety Elements
- Adaptation and Resiliency Plans
- Local Coastal Programs
- Coastal Resilience and Sea Level Rise
- Wildfire Evacuation Planning
- Heat and Drought Resilience
- Vulnerability and Risk Assessments
- Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Planning
- Electric Vehicle and Micromobility Planning
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Land Use and Sustainability
Land Use and Sustainability
Harris leaders are comprised of planners, CEQA experts, and creative designers. We develop customized solutions and strategies that maximize existing infrastructure and services, and maximize the efficient use of natural resources, to determine how to deliver the greatest community benefits.
- Sustainable Growth and Scenario Planning
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Planning
Staff Support + Advisory Services
The dynamic regulatory environment in which local governments operate requires a deep understanding of planning concepts and a project team with the experience to navigate to successful and transparent outcomes. Harris offers strategic staff support to help answer complex questions and develop legally sound approaches. Our team leverages cross-functional expertise to consider every perspective and provide our clients with sound advice.