Resiliency
Resiliency
Recovery from economic, natural, and health-related disasters is a long-term process that must start from immediate community action. This section explores strategies and ideas for recovery from disasters.
Recovery from economic, natural, and health-related disasters is a long-term process that must start from immediate community action. Many disasters, such as a pandemic, are disasters that ignore political boundaries and regional collaborative approaches are necessary. Yet the changes needed to move toward recovery happen fastest at the local level. This section explores strategies and ideas for recovery from disasters.
When communities take the time to formalizing the current recovery efforts into plans, policies, and partnerships, a community becomes more economically resilient to future shocks and stresses. Resilience strategies are a mixture of proven best practices and creative improvisation. RRC will expand these strategies and ideas with additional precedents, particularly as the COVID-19 crisis evolves in Michigan.
These immediate strategies and ideas are organized by RRC’s Six Best Practices. We’ve broadened the Best Practice categories to include ideas outside of redevelopment.
Strategies by Best Practice
Plans & Public Outreach
Plans and Public Outreach (RRC Best Practice 1) evaluates community planning and how a community’s redevelopment vision is embedded in the master plan, capital improvements plan, downtown plan and corridor plan.
Zoning
Zoning (RRC Best Practice 2) considers a community’s zoning ordinance and its other police powers, and how the community utilizes the right-of-way.
Development Review
Development Review (RRC Best Practice 3) evaluates the community’s development review policies and procedures, project tracking and internal/external communication.
Boards & Commissions
Boards and Commissions (RRC Best Practice 4) evaluates how a community conducts recruitment and orientation for newly appointed or elected officials and board members. It also evaluates the community's approach to training and communication between key boards and staff.
Economic Development & Marketing
Economic Development & Marketing (RRC Best Practice 5) assesses what goals and actions a community has identified to assist in strengthening its overall economic health. This best practice also includes an assessment of a community's marketing strategy and website. For this site, we have expanded the Best Practice to include municipal programming.
Priority Redevelopment Sites
Priority Redevelopment Sites (RRC Best Practice 6) assesses how a community identifies, visions for and markets priority redevelopment sites. A redevelopment ready site is a site targeted by the community and ready for investment. For this site, we have expanded the Best Practice to include municipal investment in infrastructure.
Reopen Main Street
We’re taking a look ahead at “new reality” possibilities and working to compile potential reopening strategies, ideas, hints and tips for businesses, business districts and organizations as we enter the COVID-19 recovery phase.
