Regional

Regional Resilience Plan

The 2025 SRPEDD Regional Resilience Plan (SRRP) is a comprehensive document addressing environmental, social, and economic policy in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Final SRRP

The current draft of the SRPEDD Regional Resilience Plan is available for review below. All feedback can be directed to the project staff via email.

Project Contacts

Danica Belknap, CC-P

Environmental Planning Manager

Taylor Perez

Director of Housing and Research

Lizeth Gonzalez

Director of Economic and Community Development

Appendices

The SRRP Appendices can be found by clicking the link below.

Please note that these Appendices are being updated.

SRRP Appendices

SRRP Volumes

How do we define resilience?

Broadly, "resilience" is defined as a system's ability to adapt to and recover from a shock or disruption.

However, the true meaning of "resiliency" is dependent on the subject or the system being discussed. It could be represented by the ability of an ecosystem to recover after a wildfire, a small business bouncing back after a financial loss, or a family enduring a sudden medical emergency.

Resilient systems efficiently recover from and adapt to stressors. In other words, resilient systems "learn from" previous disruptions and transform to better resist future disruptions.

In the context of the SRRP, the project team recognized that "resilience" will look different across disciplines and sectors. In order to better summarize best practices and to holistically examine "resilience" throughout the region, the project team divided the report into three main volumes: Economy, Environment, and Society. These volumes are described in more detail below.

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 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

2. A Diversified Local Economy.

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

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

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. Protect Human Health and Serve Essential Human Needs.

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

2. Protect Human Settlement. 

  1. Protect communities from flood, extreme weather & storms
  2. Understand the implications of sea level rise
  3. Support solid waste disposal

3. Draw Down Carbon

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

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 enables a high 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.

  1. Invest in equitable primary and secondary education
  2. Provide 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

Typology Planning Unit

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 ("transects") 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 Typologies StoryMap

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

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)

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