Downtown Louisville and the Louisville skyline. showing the Ohio River, Clark Memorial Bridge, Kennedy Bridge and the Big Four Bridge. April 4, 2015(Photo: Michael Clevenger/The Courier-Journal)Buy Photo
On Wednesday, Louisville will join Buenos Aires, Jakarta and 99 other cities globally to better prepare for anything from terrorism to climate change to the potential collapse of key industries.
The nonprofit group 100 Resilient Cities and Mayor Greg Fischer plan to make the announcement that will allow Louisville to hire a new "chief resilience officer," who will be tasked with developing strategies to help Louisville survive future disasters, slow-moving or otherwise.
Resilience is one of the latest buzzwords, seen in fields as diverse as ecology or urban planning. It has to do with the ability to survive or bounce back from disaster, whether fast-moving like a hurricane or slower-moving, such as crime or violence, said Andrew Brenner, spokesman for the 100 Cities group, which was started and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation in New York.
"We are trying to provoke cities into thinking about long-term and short-term simultaneously," he said.
More than 30 cities will be identified Wednesday, rounding out the group's 100 chosen since 2013 to be part of an international network that can tap the expertise of its partners in government and industry, Brenner said. Each city has unique challenges, he added.
For Louisville, inequality, heat, pollution and flooding "are certainly among the priorities that will start our conversations together," he said.
Fischer said in a written statement that entrance into the network will help Louisville fight the challenges of environmental sustainability, as well as the economic challenges that impact many low-income and disadvantaged citizens.
The new chief resilience officer will report directly to the mayor, said his spokesman Chris Poynter, adding that details on hiring and integration into city government are yet to be worked out.
The mayor in a written statement called the selection an honor that will "give us the tools to support a better today, tomorrow and for future generations to come. Our application recognized Louisville's commitment to addressing environmental issues that disproportionately impact low-income and minority neighborhoods. It will also examine income inequality in our city," Fischer said.
He said it gives the city a chance to "work with the best in the private, government, and non-profit sectors ... to respond to the resilience challenges ahead."
Brenner said the new staff position would be funded for up to two years and would work with the community to develop a resilience strategy.
The city has no shortage of various reports and recommendations on a variety of issues, including urban heat, tree loss, transportation and overall vision. Brenner said 100 Cities recognzes that residents of some cities might suffer from "planning fatigue."
"We are focused on nimble action and a road map with tangible partnerships to help cities in our network" achieve their goals, he added.
Reach reporter James Bruggers at (502) 582-4645 and at jbruggers@courier-journal.com.
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Source: Louisville joins 'resilient cities' initiative
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