Resilience for Communities (R4C) is a multi-year program designed to strengthen neighborhood level climate resilience and help address social inequities in communities where existing stresses combined with growing climate shocks, make them ever more vulnerable to a changing climate. The program works with a specific community on a multilevel engagement to examine the effects of cascading shocks and stresses (focused on flooding and extreme heat) and provides solutions that incorporate holistic resilience from the early stages of engagement through to implementation. R4C puts equity at the center of the work and ensures community voices are a central part of the solutions.
Boston—Chinatown and Lower Roxbury Community Action Plans
In Boston’s Lower Roxbury and Chinatown communities, the R4C program has been jointly implemented with the Boston‘s Climate Ready Team which focuses on enhancing Boston’s preparedness for climate impacts. An existing conditions analysis and community assessment was done as part of the multi-phased implementation approach of the program, including an in-depth community engagement process and project design in partnership with the City of Boston and local partners.
Houston—Alief and Trinity Houston Gardens Community Action Plans
In Houston’s Alief and Trinity-Houston Gardens communities, the R4C program has been jointly implemented with the City of Houston’s Mayors Office of Recovery and Resilience which focuses on the implementation of Resilient Houston and Houston’s
Climate Action Plan. An existing conditions analysis and community assessment was done as part of the multi-phased
implementation approach of the program, including an in-depth community engagement process and project design in partnership with the City of Houston and local partners.
Extreme heat and flooding events are among the most deadly and costly climate events that cities are facing today. By 2050, the estimated cost of flooding in cities around the world may total over $1 trillion USD, while extreme heat is projected to cost the United States $500 billion in economic losses alone.
Understanding climate resilience at the community level is critical for cities as they work to respond to these flood and heat risks. Despite its threats, the climate crisis also represents a significant opportunity for cities to redress long-lasting inequities and to work to improve social and economic conditions for communities while enhancing their ability to withstand and recover from climate-related events.
About Resilience for Communities
Resilience 4 Communities in Boston and Houston is supported by the Urban Climate Resilience Program, a global initiative led by the Z Zurich Foundation. The program is designed to enhance equitable city, community and stakeholder engagement by prioritizing community participation, building local capacity through the use of innovative tools and processes and driving investment into solutions to increase community-level resilience.