Regional

Regional Resilience Plan

Welcome to the SRPEDD Regional Resilience Plan (SRRP) home page. Explore below to find information about the SRRP, project status, and any public participation opportunities.

Project Purpose

The SRPEDD Regional Resilience Plan (SRRP) will improve community resilience by identifying and proposing solutions to environmental, economic, and social vulnerabilities across southeastern Massachusetts. For the purpose of this project, we define resilience as:

The ability of social, environmental, and economic systems to return to their original form and integrity after enduring stress or disruption.

Communities grapple with resilience from many angles. For example, resilience can mean the ability to rebuild after an intense storm event, as well as the initiative to take proactive, protective actions that limit storm damage before any specific storm event occurs. Resilience can look like a diversified economy that can sustain the region during economic downturn or threats to a specific economic sector. It can look like preparing for the jobs of the future with advanced workforce training, and ensuring that there is an adequate supply of housing and safe transportation routes to support our region's population. The SRRP will evaluate these dynamics and many more.

Project Updates

August 2024

Final drafts of the SRRP are available for public review! These drafts include existing conditions, vulnerabilities, and best practices.

Project Staff

Environmental Planning

Danica Belknap, CC-P
Environmental Planning Manager
Michelle Tinger
Assistant Director of Environmental Planning

Comprehensive Planning

Lizeth Gonzalez
Director of Economic Development
Taylor Perez
Assistant Director of Housing and Community Development

Transects, adapted from the CNU Transects.

Typology Planning Unit

In an effort to bridge administrative boundaries and recognize common issues and solutions, the SRRP will develop resilience strategies and best practices for similar types of settings represented in our region. These “typologies” range from seaside villages and rural communities to suburbs and diverse city centers.

The Typologies team developed six core development profiles based on combinations of land development indicators (floor-area-ratio and impervious cover) and environmental assets. These profiles will be paired with specific recommendations to create a custom series of resilience actions for each of the landscapes that make up the communities in the SRPEDD region.

SRRP Volumes

How do we define resilience?

Environment

What do we mean by environmental resilience? Environmental resilience typically refers to the ability of an environmental system to return to its equilibrium after a disturbance such as a storm or fire. But another key aspect is also our efforts to safeguard the land's ability to continue providing us with essential elements that form the basis of any community, including water supply, clean air, and vital green spaces for connection, recharge, and recreation. In the context of the SRRP, environmental resilience is defined in three categories of needs:

1. Maintain & enhance the inherent resilience of land, air, and water to protect human health and serve essential human needs.

  1. Provide drinking water
  2. Provide clean air 
  3. Support farm viability
  4. Protect from extreme heat
  5. Support mental health and wellbeing

2. Maintain & enhance the inherent resilience of land to protect human settlement. 

  1. Protect communities from flood, extreme weather & storms
  2. Understand the implications of sea level rise and consider wide-ranging, phased solutions
  3. Support waste disposal

3. Maintaining and enhancing the ability of land and soil to draw down carbon from the atmosphere 

  1. Protect forests 
  2. Protect carbon critical soils
  3. Protect water quality and aquatic habitat

Economy

What do we mean by Economic resilience? Prosperity and continued growth hinge on a region’s ability to predict, prevent, withstand, and recover from disruptions to its economic system. While acknowledging that these disruptions often originate from larger market changes, regional industry downturns, or external shocks, our region seeks to build lasting economic resilience by anticipating risks, evaluating their potential impact on economic assets, and building responsive capacity. In the context of the SRRP, economic resilience is defined in three categories of needs:

1. A diversified local economy.

  1. Support existing economic sectors
  2. Encourage innovation and workforce development
  3. Promote small business activities

2. A protected and growing utilities network.

  1. Ensure adequate public water capacity
  2. Ensure adequate wastewater capacity
  3. Ensure adequate telecommunications and broadband capacity
  4. Diversify local and regional energy portfolios

3. A resilient and multimodal transportation network.

  1. Expand options for getting around
  2. Support predictable and efficient movement of goods
  3. Maintain emergency evacuation preparedness

Society

What do we mean by Social resilience? Social resilience is built upon strong social networks and interconnectedness that give community members a sense of belonging and quality of life. Social resilience is the presence of basic human needs and social networks that underpin our region every day, but which become particularly vital during a shock or crisis. Social resilience is enabled through stable housing, supportive human services, robust and accessible public health, quality governance, and equity. In the context of the SRRP, social resilience is defined in three categories of needs:

1. A thriving, equitable, and supported population that can meet its basic needs.

  1. Invest in equitable primary and secondary education
  2. Produce affordable and accessible housing
  3. Provide access to healthcare 
  4. Ensure access to nutritious food

2. Reliable emergency response resources. 

  1. Foster connections between social service providers
  2. Promote local and regional emergency preparedness and recovery planning
  3. Increase individual awareness of available resources

3. Responsive and stable governance structures.

  1. Invest in sufficient municipal staff and resources
  2. Foster clear internal and external communications
  3. Collaborate with volunteer organizations

Project Working Groups

The SRRP is guided by two subject-specific working groups, which will provide direction for the SRRP and SRPEDD staff.

Environment Working Group

Patricia Cassady, Town of Middleborough
Joe Costa, Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program
Nancy Durfee, Town of Rochester
Marea Gabriel, The Nature Conservancy
Katelyn Gonyer, Town of Mansfield
Kim Groff, SNEP Network
John Hansen, Town of Swansea
Scott MacFaden, Widlands Trust
Kate McPherson, Save The Bay
Michele Paul, City of New Bedford
Heidi Ricci, MassAudubon
Courtney Rocha, MVP Program
Steve Silva, Taunton River Watershed Alliance
Darcy Young, Narragansett Bay National Estuary Program

Economy Working Group

Kim Thomas, Old Colony Habitat for Humanity 
Paul DiGiuseppe, RESC
Liz Wiley, Southcoast Food Policy Council
Jen Menard, Bristol Community College
Bryan Basterack, Bristol Agricultural High School
Derek Costa, Bristol Agricultural High School
Kris Silva, Taunton Area Chamber 
Ashley Stolba, Executive Office of Economic Development
Emma Snellings, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
Maura Valdez, Groundworks Southcoast
Chief Brian Clark, SRAC
Susan Murray, SEED Corp. 
Peter Wilson, T4MA
Joy Deuperalt, MEMA
Jake Auchincloss, US Representative (D-MA)

Typologies

SRRP Typologies StoryMap

(scroll to the bottom or click "Explore The Typologies" for an interactive map!)

Plan Volume Drafts

Environment Volume

This volume discusses resilience in the context of natural resources, human and environmental health, and carbon sequestration.

Please note that all referenced figures, tables, and maps may not be included in the draft version of the volume.

Read the Environment Draft

Economy Volume

This volume discusses resilience in the context of innovation, public utility management and expansion, and transportation networks.

Please note that all referenced figures, tables, and maps may not be included in the draft version of the volume.

Read the Economy Draft

Society Volume

This volume discusses resilience in the context of social services, healthcare, housing, emergency preparedness, and governance.

Please note that all referenced figures, tables, and maps may not be included in the draft version of the volume.

Read the Society Draft

©2018-2024 SRPEDD. All rights reserved. | Title VI / Non-discrimination Policy | Website Designed & Developed by Design Principles, Inc.