The Boston Redevelopment Authority, charged with molding the shape and size of the built city, will require climate change preparedness in the designs of all new development projects as a way to battle the effects of climate change.

Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino is undertaking new steps to better protect the city from the stronger storms and rising sea levels expected as a result of global warming, results outlined in a new report from the Boston Harbor Association. 

Menino is tasking his cabinet with accelerating the implementation of climate preparedness outlined in the city’s climate action plan, and he is asking the private sector to become an active partner in this work. In the next six months, the city will review the status of its own preparedness activities and explore new measures to ensure that all areas of Boston are prepared for the changing coastal climate, according to a city statement.

"Boston has a vibrant and growing waterfront, with millions of square feet of development planned over the coming years," Brian Swett, the city’s chief of environment and energy, said in the statement. "The realities of climate change and associated sea-level rise and natural hazards have become increasingly clear, and the city and private sector need to make sure that our current and future buildings and infrastructure are prepared. The initiatives the mayor announced today are a critical next step in ensuring that Boston is a dynamic and resilient city for decades to come."

Among other measures, the Boston Conservation Commission will draft a Wetlands Ordinance that incorporates best practices for protection against sea-level rise and storm surges, and develop new floodplain maps that incorporate projected changes in sea level and storm intensity and frequency.

And the Inspectional Services Department and Boston Public Health Commission will develop guidelines and prioritization for better enforcement of flood-proofing standards for buildings in currently designated flood hazard.

"The government and private sector need to be proactive in planning for a future with rising sea levels and future storms like Sandy," Menino said in the statement. "The steps that I am announcing today will help make our waterfront and the rest of Boston better prepared to handle future storms and get the city back in business as quickly as possible."