Environment
Why Flood Victims Blame Their City, Not the Climate
Cities may struggle to gain support for climate action plans because they haven’t dealt with infrastructure issues that regularly afflict residents.
The city of Detroit is pouring millions into the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood on the city’s east side, to bring in affordable housing, a new grocery store, and enhancements to waterfront parks. It also plans to build out rain gardens and solar arrays.
But all of that was of little concern when residents’ basements flooded for the umpteenth time this summer, which people chalked up to the city’s faulty drainage-system maintenance and misguided priorities.