Reflexive co-production for urban resilience: a guiding framework and experiences from Austin, Texas

Abstract

Climate change disproportionately impacts socially vulnerable populations across urban geographies. Disparities across neighborhoods – frequently driven by historical and contemporary racial and economic segregation – have been linked to differences in present day air pollution and urban tree canopy. Many of these communities also disproportionately inhabit hazard-prone areas and are at higher risk of adverse climate impacts. One approach to address the convergence of increased climate risks and vulnerable communities is through knowledge co-production. Co-production seeks to develop solutions through legitimate and robust processes that draw on diverse and credible expertise with, by, and for those who are likely to use them. Co-production weaves threads of research, planning, and policy in an iterative cycle that continues to build upon previous insights and outputs. This paper presents a framework for reflexive co-production and assesses three modes of co-production for urban greening and climate impact risk reduction in Austin, Texas, USA. These include a multi-hazard risk mapping initiative, a resident-driven community indicator system for adaptive capacity, and a neighborhood household preparedness guide. We establish a set of functional and transformational criteria from which to evaluate co-production for climate adaptation and assess each initiative across the criteria. We conclude with some recommendations that can advance co-production for building community resilience to the impacts of climate change.