Local Greens - Cities and Twenty-First Century Environmental Problems

As the federal government failed to take ambitious action to limit climate change in the early 21st century, many cities in the US pledged to step into the void. Networks of city governments and philanthropists offered support and cities invested their own resources in sustainability offices. However, cities made limited progress in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in the first two decades of this century. Local Greens provides a clear-eyed analysis of the potential for big city governments to address society's most pressing environmental problems in the near term. Through original case studies of New York's environmental policy efforts in the early 21st century, the book examines the promise and perils of turning to cities to tackle climate change. Drawing on an analysis of cities' strengths and weaknesses, the book outlines a high-level agenda for urban environmental policy for a sustainable future.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. A Brief History of Cities in Environmental Policy; 2. An Analytical Framework; 3. Local Environmental Protection in NYC; 4. Local Decarbonization Efforts in NYC; 5. Adapting to Climate Change in NYC; 6. An Urban Climate Change Agenda for the Early 21st Century; Coda; Notes.

About the author

Katrina M. Wyman teaches and researches environmental law at New York University School of Law, where she is the Wilf Family Professor of Property Law and Faculty Director of the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law. She has published extensively on local environmental law and policy.Danielle Spiegel-Feld spent nearly a decade as Executive Director of the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law, where she often worked closely with New York City officials to advance local environmental policy. She is an editor of Global Sustainable Cities (2023).

Product details

• Authors: Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Katrina M. Wyman, Katrina M. (New York University) Spiegel-Fe Wyman
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.08.2025
• EAN: 9781316515419
• ISBN: 978-1-316-51541-9
• No. of pages: 284
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Law > Public law, administrative procedural law, constitutional procedural law; New York City, SCIENCE / Global Warming & Climate Change, Climate Change, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy, Law / Government / State, Provincial & Municipal, LAW / Environmental, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / National, United States of America, USA, Environment law, Early 21st century c 2000 to c 2050, Green politics / ecopolitics / environmentalism, Regional, state and other local government policies, Local government law