Resilient Connecticut
CIRCA, in coordination with state agencies, regional councils of governments (COGs) and municipalities, has initiated Resilient Connecticut, as part of the HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition. Resilient Connecticut provides the state with a Planning Framework piloted in the Superstorm Sandy impacted regions of New Haven and Fairfield Counties. The project focuses on regional resilience and adaptation planning through engagement and risk assessments that inform municipal to regional scale initiatives and pilot projects.
Resilient Connecticut has several overarching objectives to achieve this vision:
1. Increase coordination and collaboration between state and local governments, Councils of Governments, NGOs, utilities, business communities, and residents to integrate climate adaptation strategies across political boundaries and leverage across jurisdictional investments.
2. Develop plans for New Haven and Fairfield Counties that will guide adaptation strategies and projects going forward; learning from and building on previous and ongoing adaptation planning efforts to create a planning framework that moves Connecticut beyond business as usual.
3. Leverage CIRCA and UConn technical support and research on key questions related to climate adaptation. Develop and demonstrate new modeling approaches and create tools and data that will support planning in Connecticut and beyond.
4. Provide recommendations for a Connecticut Statewide Resilience Roadmap to help advance the capacity of a broad multidisciplinary community of practice in Connecticut. The following topics will be emphasized: state and local policy; resilient transit oriented economic development; innovative planning, design, and engineering approaches; science and research; communication and engagement.