Lead: Manasa Bollempalli
Supporting Researchers: Amy Li, Nuzhat Fatema
Counselors: Victoria Ramenzoni, DeeDee Bennet Gayle, Elisabeth Gilmore

This project explores how urban households in Philadelphia, PA perceive climate risks and make choices about adaptation. The team uses in-depth, community-based research methods such as interviews and time spent in neighborhoods to learn directly from residents about their challenges (e.g. flooding and heat waves) and decision-making. This approach goes beyond traditional surveys to capture the social and cultural context behind people’s choices. Partnerships with local groups, such as Homies Helping Homies, help the team strengthen community ties and examine how mutual aid can support climate adaptation. The team investigates what factors influence household choices, especially when families are dealing with overlapping social challenges like financial stress . This research aims to bring local experiences and knowledge into climate planning so that policies and solutions may be more fair and effective. It also offers valuable lessons for other researchers about the opportunities and challenges of doing place-based, inclusive research.

MACH researcher, Manasa Bollempalli, assisted by Amy Li and Nuzhat Fatema, leads this initiative in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To learn about other household risk perception research efforts, check out these other MACH projects:

• Household Risk Perceptions around Climate Change: Manville, NJ
• Household Risk Perceptions around Climate Change: Camden, NJ