數千小時公開審議與討論 集結127項行動計畫
因應氣候變遷與人口快速成長，美國紐約市已提出「綠色城市」的願景與具體行動計畫──「規劃紐約：更綠更偉大」（PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York）。422地球日當天，紐約市長彭博（Michael Bloomberg）在一場政策演說中特別提到，這項涵蓋127項行動方案的PlaNYC計畫已在2006年12月啟動，目標是在2030年以前，讓這座全美最大城市蛻變為美國最「綠色」的城市。
PlaNYC涵蓋土地、空氣、水、能源和交通運輸等各方面議題，也是紐約市民累計數千小時進行「公開審議」與意見回饋的成果，總體目標包括在2030年前減少30%溫室氣體釋放量。不過，市長也表示這目標設立的還不夠高。
身為一座低漥城市的首長，為了帶領城市面對冰河和冰棚融化造成的海平面上升衝擊，彭博提出未來將設立一個跨組織工作小組，該小組的功能是：「保護攸關城市存亡的公共設施，並擴大調適策略，不僅僅要保護我們的供水設備、下水道與污水處理系統，還要能保護其他所有重要的公共建設。」
為制定氣候變遷調適策略，plaNYC採取全市參與的政策規畫過程，由市長和沿岸社區合作，創建一套社區規劃程序，以此程序機制來擬定出適合不同區域特性（site-specific）的保護策略。
為了確保市民享有較低的水患保險保費，紐約將建立完整的洪水平原經營策略相關資料；此外，也將設置一個氣候變遷調適策略的策略規劃程序，以確保美國聯邦緊急應變總署能即時更新的百年一遇洪水氾濫地圖。紐約也將修改建築法規來因應氣候變遷所帶來的衝擊。
聯合國永續發展執行長荻莎諾（JoAnne DiSano）讚揚plaNYC計畫，她指出：「像這類型行動計畫，正是我們希望其他城市和社區仿效的。經濟成長與社會發展必須兼顧環境，才是真正的發展。我們強烈支持這項計畫。」
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Sunday presented a plan to cope with climate change and a fast-growing population in a sweeping policy speech containing 127 initiatives. PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York, has been in the works since December but the mayor issued it on Earth Day to underline his goal of making America's largest city also the greenest by 2030.
Covering land, air, water, energy, and transportation, PlaNYC is the result of thousands of hours of work, informed by public meetings and feedback from New Yorkers. It establishes goals that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, although the mayor says even that goal is not set high enough.
To start planning for the sea-level rise that melting glaciers and ice sheets are expected to bring, the mayor of this low-lying city proposes to create an interagency task force. The new body would "protect our city's vital infrastructure and expand our adaptation strategies beyond the protection of our water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems to include all essential city infrastructure," the mayor said.
The plan calls for a citywide strategic planning process for climate change adaptation. The mayor would work with costal neighborhoods to develop site-specific protection strategies by creating a community planning process.
The city would document all floodplain management strategies to secure discounted flood insurance for New Yorkers, and create a strategic planning process for climate change adaptation that will ensure that New York's Federal Emergency Management Administration 100-year floodplain maps are updated.
The city would also amend the building code to address the impacts of climate change.
The United Nations, with headquarters on New York City's East River, applauded the mayor's plan. "This is exactly the type of initiative that we would like more cities and communities to undertake," said UN Director of Sustainable Development JoAnne DiSano. "Real development has to allow for economic growth and social development in an environmentally balanced way. We are strongly encouraged by this proposal."
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