Natural Resources Defense Council’s Urban Solutions Program - Spring

As part of NRDC’s Urban Solutions initiative, this capstone developed a structured data collection and readiness assessment tool to help cities evaluate resilience in stormwater management and food systems security. Rather than prescribing specific policy interventions, the project focused on creating a standardized framework to assess baseline conditions and identify data gaps. The tool organized indicators into five overarching themes: socio-economic context, environmental conditions, vulnerability and risk, infrastructure capacity, and governance preparedness.

Each indicator was categorized by importance level—essential, very important, or supplementary—and accompanied by guidance on data sources and measurement methods. The framework enables NRDC to benchmark cities, facilitate peer learning, and guide targeted technical assistance. By integrating quantitative metrics with qualitative readiness indicators, the tool supports equitable climate adaptation planning. The final deliverable equips NRDC and partner cities with a replicable methodology for identifying resilience gaps and prioritizing actions that strengthen long-term environmental and social sustainability.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Capstone Workshop.