Planning for Equitable Climate Relocation: Gaps in Knowledge and a Proposal for Future Directions

Abstract

Climate-related property buyouts increasingly affect people, communities, and planning systems, signaling the need for increased attention from practitioners and scholars. We review existing evidence about three phases of a tripartite process of equitable relocation in the United States: buyouts, relocation, and use of vacated land, each with potential to benefit or harm residents and communities. Seeing these pieces as interconnected and embedded in historical context allows us to reduce climate threats while addressing existing inequity. Future research, aimed at filling the gaps we have identified in this review, will be an important part of envisioning a new way forward.