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Thoughts on Climate Resilience

This month we’re trying something a little different with a themed newsletter. Given recent natural disasters in the US and around the world, the topic of climate resiliency has been on our minds.

Climate resilience allows us to prepare, plan, absorb, recover, and more successfully adapt to disruptions due to human-caused climate breakdown.

The impacts will show up differently in every neighborhood, which means each of us needs to understand specific risks and prepare for them now.

Our design skills are at the center of this work. Whether we're creating resilient buildings that can weather the storm, designing adaptive tools that help communities thrive, or translating complex climate data into information people can actually use, our creativity and design decisions matter. Building a climate-ready future isn't someone else's job, it's all of ours. And it demands every one of us bring our boldest ideas to the table today.

We can already look to some of the well known projects out there for inspiration. From living buildings to floating cities in the architectural world, and infrastructure projects like living breakwaters to the many wildlife crossings being built across the world, it’s heartening to see large scale projects like this ramping up. But unless one is already working in the civic design space it’s hard to know how to get involved.

What can we do on our own? Arif Khan decided to depave his yard, and that turned into a local movement to reduce runoff and urban heat. SFinBloom plants wildflowers to support biodiversity. With the support of local government, Lauren Bon bent the LA river in order to remediate both land and water in a first of its kind partnership with the city. Even apps like Watch Duty, which became the go-to app for wildfire alerts following the Los Angeles fires earlier this year, was started by one person who saw the need for it. Once a singular effort becomes a community effort, so much is possible. What else can we imagine for our cities, our block, our daily lives?

Or perhaps it’s less about what we do, and it’s how we show up. The most important part of preparing for what’s ahead may be more personal.

How do we embrace a growth mindset to see climate challenges not as threats that paralyze us, but as problems we can learn from and actively solve together?

How do we become comfortable with ambiguity as we step into an uncertain world?

Accepting change is likely the biggest challenge of all.

– Marc O’Brien and Natalie Walsh​
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Latest from Climate Designers Doom & Bloom Podcast

In this episode of Doom & Bloom, UX/UI designer and New Wave Researcher Zoe explores why design has become so focused on quick results—and what it would look like to shift towards long-term impact, community care, and climate responsibility. From classroom tools to meditative practices, this episode invites designers to slow down, listen deeply, and embrace uncertainty as a creative strength.
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Community Highlights

How the team is taking action on climate resilience:

• 🧯 Both Marc and Natalie got their NERT (neighborhood emergency response) certification in San Francisco, which prepares members of the community to respond in case of disasters. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and gain awareness of risks at both the home and community level. Read more about Marc’s takeaways from the experience here.
• 🔥 Rachel is part of the Climate Resilient LA community that brings together artists, students, scientists, and cultural leaders. They recently gathered for an indigenous youth-led ceremony and procession that hand delivered their petition to the L.A. Board of Supervisors calling for immediate action to address the firestorm catastrophes.
• 🌱 Margaret and Jahnavi's team are bringing From Soil To Soul: Food Justice in LA screenings to more places — Santa Monica, San Jose, Huntsville, Point Reyes, Corvallis, and Portland — and learning how to engage food sovereignty conversations with different communities, varying from college students, educators, artists, to active community members.
• 🏅 Carly is part of an amazing community garden in Brooklyn, 6/15 Green, that grows food for the community and is home to an award winning willow tree.
• 🏡 Kaylyn just installed a heat pump in her house to reduce her gas usage.
• 🤗 Sarah is training to facilitate climate cafes where people can talk about and unpack emotions related to the climate crisis.

Question of the Month:

Are you doing anything in your own lives or local communities to address climate resilience?

Chapter Event Recap:

Climate Designers LA created the Food Sustainability track for LA Climate Week to explore solution opportunities, because the food we eat, grow, and share can build community and fight climate change. Check out their recap for highlights from the five days, plus ways to get involved in the future. 🍊 🌼 🥬 🍓 🥘
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Resources

Check out the following resources for taking action on climate resilience today. This list is aimed at those in architectural and civic design, but the strategies are relevant for anyone looking to learn about ways to make changes at home and get involved in local community projects that support climate resilience.

​Design Toolkit from Climate Positive Design & Pathfinder
​A short list of strategies for drawdown, resilience, equity, and advocacy

​What You Can Do Right Now from AIA
​Quick reads on different potential areas of action

​Resilience Design Toolkit from AIA
​A deeper dive into climate resilient strategies
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Opportunities

Current Design and Climate Jobs, Courses, and other Opportunities
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Jobs
​Senior Product Designer at Kiva. Remote, Columbia.
​Graphic Designer at Pela. Remote, Canada.
​Design & Communications Associate at World Resource Institute. Remote, India.
​Staff Product Designer (UX) at Climate X. Remote, UK.

Course
​Katie Patrick's New School of Climate Action Design starting June 14th

Grant
​2026 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship​

Contest
​Seaweed Poster Art Contest - submit by June 21st​
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Events

Upcoming Climate and Design Happenings
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Climate Designers Chapter & Hub Events
​Los Angeles: Supporting For the Birds: The Birdsong Project on June 1st
Toronto: Poetry in Empathetic Conflict on June 8th
NYC: Climate Designers NYC x Balcones Recycling Tour on June 11th
Boston: Designing Resilience: A Climate Creatives Meetup on June 12th
Bay Area: Climate Resilience: A Climate Designers Bay Area x Climatebase Fellows Meetup on June 26th
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​Conferences, Climate Weeks, and Workshops (In-Person & Online)
​Hollywood Climate Summit on June 2nd - 4th (Los Angeles)
​Reshaping Climate Through Design on June 7th (San Francisco)
​World Summit on Ethical and Sustainable Fashion on June 6th - 7th (Toronto)
​The Network Festival on May 11th - June 18th, 2025
​Project Drawdown’s Climate @ Work Employee Training on June 11th, 18th, 25th
​London Climate Week on June 21st - 29th
​Green IO Munich on July 2nd - 3rd
​Pacific Northwest Climate Week on July 16th - 25th
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​Online Events
​Climate Skills through Creativity with Climate Vision on June 4th - 6th
​A Framework for Industry Transformation with Creatives for Climate on June 12th
​Climate Resilient Futures with ClimateWest on June 17th - 18th
​The Scintilla Salon on June 24th
​Proceed & Be Bold on Friday mornings (with Marc from Climate Designers)
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Volunteer Openings

We are seeking additional Chapter Leaders for our Toronto and Singapore Chapters. Interested? Get in touch with us at hello@climatedesigners.org.
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Keep this Work Going

Your support allows us to keep the lights on and continue to offer as much as we do for free. Help us continue to do this important work. Your generosity benefits the entire design and climate community.

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Quick Links

​Join for free or as a supporter. We are a 100% volunteer led organization and are entirely supported by our paid members. As a supporter you gain access to all our past content, and of course our deepest gratitude.

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