The social impacts of climate adaptation and mitigation depend upon climate risks and community resilience, which fundamentally are dependent on the nature of local climate risk(s) and the capacity of communities to respond to climate risk(s). The Harvard Radcliffe seminar on Climate Justice and Energy Transition in Massachusetts Cities and Towns convened social scientists and community advocates to explore the idea that social processes can accelerate adaptation and mitigation. Specifically, the seminar explored (i) landscapes and place-based research on Cape Ann, MA, (ii) rethinking scales of governance to address risk and foster resilience, and (iii) designing inclusive social processes to speed energy transition and strengthen community resilience.