Climate + Sustainability: How Shared Values Are Shaping a Low-Carbon Future
Recently, I sat down with Anna Rosenblum, evolveEA’s Climate + Sustainability Studio Lead, to talk about her path to this work and how communities are reducing their carbon footprint and preparing for the impacts of climate change.
Q: What first drew you to this line of work?
AR: While it might sound cliche, LEGO building blocks and Frank Lloyd Wright. I was fascinated by how things were built, and Wright’s emphasis on harmony between buildings and their environment stuck with me. An interest in designing green buildings led me to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master’s in Sustainable Design at Carnegie Mellon.
Q: How did you find your way to evolveEA?
AR: A third-year studio led by Christine Mondor turned into a summer internship in 2012 that completely shifted my perspective. I worked on the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot 1.0 Plan that summer, focusing on the energy chapter, and saw firsthand the power of grassroots action and community collaboration. That experience showed me how much greater the impact can be at the community scale. I joined evolveEA fulltime in 2014, and the Climate + Sustainability Studio launched a decade later as the culmination of much of our community scale sustainability work.
Q: What is the focus of the Climate + Sustainability Studio today?
AR: The Studio exists to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, resilient future that’s people-centered and grounded in place. We turn climate ambition into action through catalytic planning, authentic engagement, and a strong focus on implementation. We don’t produce plans that sit on shelves; our recommendations are shaped by the realities of implementation (capacity, funding, and decision-making structures) so clients can act immediately. Our work in Solebury Township is a great example of this – it’s focused on moving from planning to action by understanding the realities of implementation. We draw on expertise from across evolveEA, from building performance and urban systems analysis to mobility, landscape, and community identity. We bring these perspectives together to address climate action and resilience as two sides of the same coin.
Q: “Climate” and “sustainability” can mean different things to different people. How do you approach that?
AR: We lead with shared values, not politics or jargon. Healthy communities, affordable energy, good jobs, and reducing flooding risk resonate with everyone. Our work with the Etna EcoDistrict started by understanding what sustainability means to the community, what their values are, and what their vision for the future is. Over the course of a two-year education and planning process we distilled a set of common goals and actions that reduce the community’s carbon footprint while improving quality of life. This led to a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and the distinguished designation as the world’s first certified EcoDistrict. Establishing shared values and community-specific definitions made that possible.
Q: What role do communities play as federal support for climate action fluctuates?
AR: A pivotal one. Communities, municipalities, and counties are stepping up in absence of federal leadership. Working at this scale allows us to create meaningful plans that are rooted in the uniqueness of place and meaningfully reflect community values. What excites me most is using climate action to advance broader quality-of-life goals, such as housing affordability and job creation. This is demonstrated in our work on the Allegheny County Climate Action Plan, which is focused on improving quality of life and providing local benefits, while also reducing the county’s carbon footprint. Working at the community-level allows you to understand what is needed on-the-ground to actually implement these actions.
Q: What tangible benefits come from taking climate action with evolveEA?
AR: We know a one-size-fits all approach is not the solution. Solutions for stormwater management in Chemung County, NY are not going to be the same as solutions in Forest Hills, PA. Our Climate & Sustainability Studio creates plans that reflect the unique identities, opportunities, and challenges of each place. We translate technical data into actionable information that can inform decision-making and build knowledge and capacity. We treat the communities we work in as true partners, not only developing compelling plans, but empowering communities to activate them. Last, but most importantly, is that at evolveEA we care deeply about the success of this work and we reflect our firm values (design-forward, centering equity, and net-zero) in all that we do.
Together, we can transform aspiration into meaningful impact, fostering a healthier, more equitable future for people and the planet. To learn more about the work Anna and her team are doing, click here.