What would community resilience look like in Richmond?

Although Richmond is a thriving city, it has a traumatic past. For some communities this trauma is still present. How do communities heal or become resilient? What progress has Richmond made in regard to healing and how can it improve? This post will offer an initiative that may help Richmond to frame its ongoing road to resiliency.

100 Resilient  Communities is an initiative that seeks to build resilience in urban communities through resilience frameworks and support. The initiative focuses on alleviating 5 main stressors within cities such as: high unemployment; an overtaxed or inefficient public transportation system; endemic violence; or chronic food and water shortages. These stressors are all, in some way, present in Richmond. When these macro stressors are not alleviated, they will inevitably impact the individual lives of Richmonders. Community resilience is possible...but what can it look like in Richmond?

The framework this initiative uses is the Community Resilience Framework. The framework is built on 4 dimensions of urban resilience: 1) health and well being, 2) economy and society, 3) infrastructure and environment and 4)leadership and society.

This framework can be applied to city government with the inclusion of nonprofits and community residents. In addition to this framework for resilience, the initiative also provides real support.

By joining this initiative cities will be given:

1. Financial and logistical guidance for establishing an innovative new position in city government, a Chief Resilience Officer, who will lead the city’s resilience efforts;
2. Expert support for development of a robust resilience strategy;
3. Access to solutions, service providers, and partners from the private, public and NGO sectors who can help them develop and implement their resilience strategies; and
4. Membership of a global network of member cities who can learn from and help each other.

A community that is prepared and intentionally structured for resilience acts as a deterrent for not only community level trauma but individual trauma.  Although Richmond does have robust efforts that lead to resilience, this model can help to better frame and sharpen these initiatives by offering technical and financial support.

 How can you see this model being incorporated in Richmond city? In a community? In a neighborhood? Or in your organization?

Reference Links:

website: http://www.100resilientcities.org/resilience#/-_/

Community Resilience Framework