As our economy, environment, and society face new challenges, planning for resilient communities is more important than ever. Discover the benefits of resilient communities and how partnering with professional Planners can bring comprehensive goals to life.
What is a resilient community?
Resilient communities balance the needs of people, our impact on the planet, and the economy to create a thriving place to live, work, and play. By intentionally addressing real-world challenges facing local stakeholders, resilient communities work to increase opportunities and resources for shared success.
These forward-thinking environments tackle modern issues such as infrastructure, housing, climate change and the importance of business development through practical yet innovative community planning. Professional Planners weave together an interdisciplinary understanding of sociology, economics, environmental studies, and more to create resilient and safe communities.
Examples of resilient community features include:
- Fiscal analysis: Understanding the fiscal capacity to achieve community aspirations and how to attract economic investment.
- Complete transportation modes: Incorporating all forms of transportation that provides choice to citizens that may include non-vehicular travel options such as bike and pedestrian lanes, as well as better access to public transit, promotes equitable access for diverse stakeholders.
- Mixed-use buildings: Creating opportunities to live and work in close proximity boosts local economies, increases efficiency, and improves quality of life.
- Green spaces: Adding natural areas to built environments helps improve air and water quality while also providing humans outdoor recreation and respite.
- Environmental analysis: Identifying key natural features that warrant protection and/or enhancement to protect our air, water and soil.
How do you start planning a resilient community?
Addressing the needs of many is a delicate effort that requires a holistic approach. Professional Planners design sustainable communities by diving into the specific challenges and growth opportunities of an area to develop a custom master plan.
Understanding diverse and potentially conflicting needs starts with extensive community informing and engaging. Planners organize opportunities for residents, business owners, and policy makers to share their hopes and concerns for what their community could become while sharing the knowledge of the research carried out to help participants to understand the rational that influences the policy development.
Community information and engagement efforts can include open houses, outreach to specific community events, interest group meetings, surveys, website forums, and more to gather as many viewpoints as possible. From there, professional Planners must harness that research to devise impartial, equitable recommendations to elected officials on plans that serve the greater good of the community.
Planning for social, economic, and environmental needs
Every decision made for a resilient community creates a ripple effect of change, so how do Planners balance the economy with a shifting society and environmental changes, such as climate change?
There are many ways to support sustainable growth across varied interests. The goal is to introduce solutions that simultaneously check off several boxes in order to serve the widest range of interests. Options will vary based on each community’s unique needs and circumstances but should aim to serve multiple stakeholders at once. Ultimately, elected officials make the final plan decisions.
Sustainable planning efforts can introduce:
- Green/climate-resilient technology: Updating aging infrastructure with modern best practices helps fix current issues and get ahead of future climate challenges.
- Integrating flood control measures
- Using renewable and/or eco-friendly building materials
- Incorporating alternative energy sources such as solar or wind
- Business development and economic growth: Boosting local economics through intentional changes in property availability and incentives can attract new investment creating jobs and variety in a community.
- Introducing mixed-use zoning
- Revitalizing brownfield or underutilized properties
- Offering entrepreneurial incentives to business owners
- Accessible social services and programs: Empowering residents from all backgrounds to live safe, healthy, happy lives can be achieved through inclusive amenity planning.
- Availability of affordable housing
- Access to parks and recreational facilities
- Inclusion of public walkways and transit systems
When woven together, these sustainable solutions can accomplish multiple goals. For example, remediating a contaminated piece of land for mixed-use space not only creates new business and housing opportunities, it also improves the local environment and creates healthier community conditions.
Working with experienced Planners is the best way to find holistic options for community challenges. These professionals have the broad lens and deep knowledge base to formulate cohesive plans that can last for generations.
Work with V3’s Planning experts
Our Planning team balances developing milestones and budgets along with understanding and achieving community vision and the aspirations of community leaders. We combine extensive community outreach with expert industry insight that results in creating thriving, sustainable environments. Connect with our team to learn more.