Neighborhood Resilience Planning

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Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within an urban area to survive, adapt, and thrive no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Neighborhood Resilience Plans are a crucial step forward realizing this vision because each community in Houston has its own resilience priorities including flooding, air quality, displacement, mobility, neighborhood services and more.

In early 2022, the Planning and Development Department began work to guide three communities in a process to develop their own resilience plans. Each was selected because they are continuing to recover from recent Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and other recent flooding events. This community specific effort generated a Neighborhood Resilience Plan for each of the three pilot neighborhoods and established a guide for other neighborhoods to follow in creating their own resilience plans. Three new neighborhoods were included in the program in 2023.

Resilience Districts weave together climate adaptation and risk reduction, promote economic opportunities, identify critical infrastructure improvements, and leverage social empowerment within a neighborhood-specific strategy. These plans are community and data driven with input from relevant City departments and collaborating organizations. Neighborhood Resilience Plans leverage future investments in these communities to reduce the damaging effects of climate related events and equip communities with the tools needed to continually thrive.




Neighborhood Resilience Communities


Neighborhood Resilience Plans are community based. Actions in the final plan are based on input about issues and opportunities and any previous or on-going planning and projects. The Planning & Development Department's role is to facilitate the process. Staff work with community leaders to maximize participation by people of all ages who live, work and play in the neighborhood.

A series of public meetings provided opportunity for community members to talk with each other and with City departments and other agencies about priorities for the community. The Planning Process is described in the Neighborhood Resilience Planning Guide. This framework can be used by communities and their partners to create neighborhood specific resilience plans.



Watershed Planning Best Practices Report

The City of Houston Planning and Development Department published the Watershed Planning Best Practices (WPBP) Report by One Architecture to help inform the Neighborhood Resilience Planning effort. The WPBP is one of the initial actions to catalyze the creation of the Neighborhood Resilience Plans. Best practices for watershed planning will help guide watershed management at the region, city and community levels to help reduce the damage caused by flood events.



Map Atlas of Baseline Analysis

The City of Houston Planning and Development Department published the Map Atlas of Baseline Analysis by One Architecture to help inform the Neighborhood Resilience Planning effort. This document provides findings from a study of key regional and city bayous and watersheds, flooding hazards, storm water drainage systems, wastewater, and other facilities/conditions that affect the health and safety of neighborhood residents. The Map Atlas illustrates existing conditions regionally, and within the pilot study areas: Independence Heights, East Houston, and Edgebrook.









Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within an urban area to survive, adapt, and thrive no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Neighborhood Resilience Plans are a crucial step forward realizing this vision because each community in Houston has its own resilience priorities including flooding, air quality, displacement, mobility, neighborhood services and more.

In early 2022, the Planning and Development Department began work to guide three communities in a process to develop their own resilience plans. Each was selected because they are continuing to recover from recent Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and other recent flooding events. This community specific effort generated a Neighborhood Resilience Plan for each of the three pilot neighborhoods and established a guide for other neighborhoods to follow in creating their own resilience plans. Three new neighborhoods were included in the program in 2023.

Resilience Districts weave together climate adaptation and risk reduction, promote economic opportunities, identify critical infrastructure improvements, and leverage social empowerment within a neighborhood-specific strategy. These plans are community and data driven with input from relevant City departments and collaborating organizations. Neighborhood Resilience Plans leverage future investments in these communities to reduce the damaging effects of climate related events and equip communities with the tools needed to continually thrive.




Neighborhood Resilience Communities


Neighborhood Resilience Plans are community based. Actions in the final plan are based on input about issues and opportunities and any previous or on-going planning and projects. The Planning & Development Department's role is to facilitate the process. Staff work with community leaders to maximize participation by people of all ages who live, work and play in the neighborhood.

A series of public meetings provided opportunity for community members to talk with each other and with City departments and other agencies about priorities for the community. The Planning Process is described in the Neighborhood Resilience Planning Guide. This framework can be used by communities and their partners to create neighborhood specific resilience plans.



Watershed Planning Best Practices Report

The City of Houston Planning and Development Department published the Watershed Planning Best Practices (WPBP) Report by One Architecture to help inform the Neighborhood Resilience Planning effort. The WPBP is one of the initial actions to catalyze the creation of the Neighborhood Resilience Plans. Best practices for watershed planning will help guide watershed management at the region, city and community levels to help reduce the damage caused by flood events.



Map Atlas of Baseline Analysis

The City of Houston Planning and Development Department published the Map Atlas of Baseline Analysis by One Architecture to help inform the Neighborhood Resilience Planning effort. This document provides findings from a study of key regional and city bayous and watersheds, flooding hazards, storm water drainage systems, wastewater, and other facilities/conditions that affect the health and safety of neighborhood residents. The Map Atlas illustrates existing conditions regionally, and within the pilot study areas: Independence Heights, East Houston, and Edgebrook.









Page last updated: 08 Oct 2024, 12:53 PM