Leading with Local Knowledge: Climate Adaptation, Local Knowledge, and Participation in Austin, Texas' Network of Plans and the Co-Designed Climate Navigators' Tool and Process.

This article examines the extent to which Austin, Texas' network of municipal plans incorporates resident participation, community engagement, equity, and local knowledge in climate adaptation planning. The analysis of seven key plans reveals limited inclusion of these elements, with most plans emphasizing one-way information sharing rather than two-way knowledge exchange, and few efforts to recruit or accommodate diverse populations. To address this gap, the article presents a case study of the Dove Springs Climate Navigators program, a collaboration among residents, a community-based organization (Go Austin! Vamos Austin!), the City of Austin, and university researchers, which co-designed an online portal and training system to integrate local knowledge into adaptation planning. This program emphasizes procedural, distributive, and recognitional justice by compensating participants, providing bilingual materials, and fostering inclusive engagement, offering a model for enhancing equitable climate adaptation through community-driven knowledge co-production.