Creating Resilient Housing and Communities
- Title:
- Creating Resilient Housing and Communities
- Author:
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John McIlwain, Molly Simpson, Sara Hammerschmidt
- Source:
- Publication Date:
On the most basic level, housing is supposed to keep residents safe, warm, and dry. Increasingly volatile weather threatens those basic components of quality housing, making resilience to extreme weather events a critical component of housing. Housing in America: Integrating Housing, Health, and Resilience in a Changing Environment provides guidance to developers and city leaders on how to prepare America's housing stock for unpredictable climate patterns in the future.
The report examines the cases of three places that rebuilt after a disaster: Greensburg, Kansas; San Diego, California; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. These stories show how communities that have experienced devastating tornados, wildfires, and floods are creating healthier and more resilient places in the face of an ever-evolving climate.
Major recommendations:
- Develop compact, walkable and mixed-use places.
- Encourage greater social equity.
- Invest in social capital, which is invaluable in the face of climate disasters.
- Build resource-efficient and durable housing.
- Continuously adapt for a changing environment and plan for the future.
