Ann Arbor Wants to Be Resilient City

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The city of Ann Arbor will be applying for designation as one of 100 Resilient Cities by the Rockefeller Foundation. A resolution passed at the council’s Oct. 7, 2013 meeting directs the city administrator to apply for the grant. The Rockefeller Foundation defines “resilience” in terms of preparedness to withstand catastrophic events – both natural and manmade.

Each of 100 winning cities will receive three forms of support, according to the Rockefeller Foundation website:

  • Membership in the newly formed 100 Resilient Cities Network, which will provide support to member cities and share new knowledge and resilience best practices.
  • Support to hire a chief resilience officer (CRO). The CRO would oversee the development of a resilience strategy for the city.
  • Support to create a resilience plan, along with tools and resources for implementation.

At the Oct. 7  meeting, Matt Naud – environmental coordinator for the city – said the grant would be for $1 million. The deadline to apply is Oct. 14, 2013.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]