The city of Tampa, Florida, released its first ever resilience road map late last week with 58 recommendations that officials said will help the city not just prepare for the impacts of climate change but also build a stronger community.

The plan looks to help improve opportunity and economic mobility for city residents, build thriving neighborhoods, create an infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change, and help the city become more inclusive and equitable as it continues to grow. It recommends actions like creating a community land trust to ensure more affordable housing units are built and accelerating the rollout of broadband internet, especially in majority-minority communities.

The road map came together after 18 months of planning, including in-person and virtual workshops, phone calls, and a resident survey that received over 1,700 responses. A spokesperson for the nonprofit Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) said in an email that the plan is likely the first to be released during or after the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many cities to rethink their futures as they seek an equitable recovery, with improved resilience as one way to strengthen communities beyond preparing for the impacts of climate change. Indeed, an RCC road map for economic resilience said a truly resilient city has stable household wealth, a strong small business community and strong social bonds.

Meanwhile, a report from ABI Research in late March last year found cities were "woefully unprepared" to respond to the coronavirus, noting they should lose their "naive 'nothing can happen to us' beliefs and adopt responsible attitudes toward resilience."

Read the full article about resilience crisis planning by Chris Teale at Smart Cities Dive.