Climate and Community: Green Infrastructure for the Triple Bottom Line

BOSTON — Dr. Madhu Dutta-Koehler, Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of the City Planning and Urban Affairs program at the Boston University Metropolitan College, worked with Lead for America to organize and host the Climate And Community: Green Infrastructure for the Triple Bottom Line workshop. Attendees were Lead for America Fellows, master’s students participating in two-year paid fellowships in local governments facilitated by the Lead for America program.

The workshop opened with introductions and a brief explanation of what each student was focusing their studies and projects on. These included focuses across the board, from transit and public transportation to community and youth engagement, and from communications to governmental auditing. The areas which came up most often were housing, education, and ecological sustainability. 

The theme and subject of the workshop was a concept known as the triple bottom line. “It’s the intersection of the economic, the environmental, and the social aspects of a community,” said Dutta-Koehler, “and without taking into account a balance of these three, our work is ineffective.”

The concept of the triple bottom line is used by planners to guide their efforts and ensure the work they are doing is as efficient, effective, and universally equitable as possible. The workshop covered this crucial intersection and its application to urban planning for sustainability and the offset of climate change.

To illustrate the importance of the triple bottom line, Dutta-Koehler listed examples of failed projects. These included the Ford Foundation’s work in Africa to deliver clean water to a village without considering the cultural importance of water-fetching to the women of the community, and the anomalic decision of the people of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, to remain on their lands despite scientific evidence of impending environmental disasters and the offer of governmental aide in evacuation. In both these cases, the social element of the triple bottom line was not properly catered to in urban planning efforts.

“What’s more important than technology is an understanding of the community. You could have the most cutting edge engineering in the world, and it wouldn’t mean a thing if the people won’t engage with and respond to it,” Dutta-Koehler said.

Dutta-Koehler stressed the importance of communications in planning careers. “You need to speak the language of the people when framing the problem. While a community of indigenous peoples might be inclined to protect wildlife, the potential extinction of a species of rattlesnake isn’t going to change the minds of or convince a change of lifestyle in average American people living in urban areas. You have to consider what’s going to make the community care. The reality is that most people are going to be much more motivated when they hear they won’t have clean drinking water in five years than when they hear a snake will go extinct.”

Throughout Dutta-Koehler’s portion of the presentation, the students discussed concerns and shared ideas on conservation, community building, and more. Dutta-Koehler advocated strongly for a utilitarian approach to city planning.

“Always try to do the most good for the most people,” she said. “Prioritize the equity of outcomes above all else.”

Her portion of the workshop concluded with an explanation of green infrastructure, a strategically planned network of semi/natural areas designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services, and with a discussion of the benefits it can bring to a community or region. 

After a short break, Benjamin Cares, MCP Candidate at Boston University and Urban Planner for the City of Chelsea, MA, took over the stage. 

Cares discussed his background and his position as an Urban Planner for the City of Chelsea, and gave advice to those entering the field. He discussed how to approach certain challenges and issues, and answered questions and concerns the students in attendance brought up. 

Cares echoed the main points of Dutta-Koehler as he emphasized the importance of education and community outreach in city planning and urban affairs. He said, “opening a conversation with the community is absolutely crucial.”

Climate And Community: Green Infrastructure for the Triple Bottom Line was held on July 11th at the Boston University Metropolitan College. To learn more about the Boston University City Planning and Urban Affairs program, visit www.bu.edu/cityplanning. To learn more about Lead for America, visit www.lead4america.org.