Decision making for independent municipal action

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Urban planning
• Decision science

Background:

• Municipalities face complex planning challenges due to budget constraints, present concerns, and climate change uncertainty.
• Lack of clear state and federal investment priorities exacerbates planning difficulties for local governments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate how decision science strategies can aid local governments in making robust and broadly beneficial planning decisions.
• To illustrate the application of scenario analysis for prioritizing infrastructure funding and enhancing resident well-being under climate uncertainty.

Main Methods:

• Utilized existing strategies from decision science.
• Employed scenario analysis for an illustrative example of municipal decision-making.
• Focused on prioritizing funding and elevating baseline infrastructure functionality and resident well-being.

Main Results:

• Decision science strategies offer robust approaches for planning despite future uncertainties.
• Scenario analysis effectively demonstrates how cities can prioritize investments.
• The proposed methods enhance infrastructure functionality and resident well-being irrespective of climate hazard occurrence.

Conclusions:

• Decision science provides valuable tools for municipal planning in the face of climate change.
• Scenario analysis is a practical method for cities to optimize infrastructure investment and improve quality of life.
• Proactive planning using these strategies ensures resilience and broad benefits for communities.