City of Jacksonville

City of Jacksonville Resilience Strategy

Duration:
Ongoing

The Water Institute, along with partners SCAPE, Acuity Design Group, Inc., Halff, and Fernleaf, are working with the City of Jacksonville leadership and community stakeholders to develop a data-driven and science-based resilience strategy for the city.

The Challenge

EVOLVING CHALLENGES REQUIRE NEW APPROACHES

Jacksonville is a rapidly growing city. Its vast land area and diverse industries, along with mainstays like the city’s military bases and port, have made Jacksonville a dynamic place for businesses and residents to prosper. Jacksonville has also encountered its share of challenges in its 200-year history, and will face new and increasing challenges in the future; particularly those brought on by climate change. These impacts will further alter how residents experience daily life.

The Approach

A PROCESS GROUNDED IN SOUND SCIENCE

The City is taking a rigorous, science-based approach to prioritizing actions and investments that will make Jacksonville more resilient. The vision and measurable objectives outlined on the previous page will guide decision making on priorities in a clear and transparent manner.

As part of Jacksonville’s resilience planning, the City is developing a comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment that will provide detailed and actionable data on the vulnerabilities of Jacksonville’s people, infrastructure, and economy to various shocks, including flooding, heat, wind, and wildfires.

Key stakeholders inside and outside city government will support the development of resilience opportunities, which will be evaluated and prioritized based on how they measurably address risks and achieve our objectives. The final resilience strategy will include a set of implementable actions for achieving Jacksonville’s vision for resilience despite the risks we face.

This process incorporates Structured Decision Making methods that combine science and policy in order to break down complex decisions and help guide communities toward finding and prioritizing solutions that meet clearly defined objectives for the city’s future. The final resilience strategy will serve as the “guiding force” for adaptation of infrastructure, policy, and city operations into the future.

To learn more visit www.resilientjacksonville.com or contact resilience@coj.net.