Jacksonville to Be Among the First to Benefit from Innovative Planning Tools, Resources
The Rockefeller Foundation today announced that Jacksonville has been selected to join the 100 Resilient Cities Network. Jacksonville was chosen from among nearly 400 international cities that applied for the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge.
“I’m delighted that Jacksonville is among this inaugural group of cities selected for the Resilient Cities Network, and I thank the Rockefeller Foundation for selecting us from hundreds of cities around the world,” Mayor Alvin Brown said. “It is crucial that we take steps to prepare for and protect our community in the event of a catastrophe, and the resources and knowledge of best practices available through this world-class network will be a tremendous asset in that effort.”
Cities were invited to apply through the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge issued in May. Upon the recommendations of a panel of distinguished leaders from around the world, the first group of 33 cities, including Jacksonville, was named to the network. Leaders made their recommendations based on how a city planned to approach and build greater resilience; how a city would incorporate a range of constituents (e.g., civil society, local businesses, and academia) in its resilience planning and implementation; and how the needs of the poor or vulnerable would be addressed.
“We are excited about this global network of cities, large and small, coastal and land-locked, ancient and modern, and for Jacksonville to be a part of it. As you explained so clearly in your application, building resilience requires partners from every sector, and we have an outstanding cross-sectoral platform of tools and resources that we are eager to make available to help Jacksonville become more resilient. My team and I look forward to working with you, starting with an agenda-shaping workshop in early 2014,” said Michael Berkowitz, Managing Director for 100 Resilient Cities at The Rockefeller Foundation.
As part of the 100 Resilient Cities Network, Jacksonville will receive support and consider how to create a resilience strategy and receive access to tools, technical support, and resources for implementing a comprehensive resilience plan. Initial partners for this platform of services, including Swiss Re, Palantir, the World Bank, the American Institute of Architects, and Architecture for Humanity, united at the Clinton Global Initiative in September to commit to providing support in design thinking, planning, and alternate services.
“We congratulate Jacksonville on being named one of the 100 Resilient Cities,” said Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin. “Along with 32 other cities across six continents, your city will be able to better prepare for, withstand, and bounce back more effectively in the face of shocks, stresses and other vulnerabilities. Jacksonville is now part of a global network of urban areas focused on building resilience, to share best practices and lead by example for cities throughout the world.”
For nearly a decade, The Rockefeller Foundation has been a leader in the growing field of resilience in both urban and rural contexts, building urban climate change resilience in Asia through its Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network, through investments in building rural climate change resilience in Africa, by funding comprehensive planning work in post-Katrina New Orleans, and most recently, by leading New York Governor Cuomo’s post-Sandy Commission, which set forth a bold plan for building long-term resilience in New York. Building on these investments, and in order to enable cities around the world to prepare for the challenges of the 21st century, it launched the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge in May 2013. Additional cities will be named to join the 100 Resilient Cities Network in subsequent years.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation aims to achieve equitable growth by expanding opportunity for more people in more places worldwide, and to build resilience by helping them prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. Throughout its 100 year history, The Rockefeller Foundation has enhanced the impact of innovative thinkers and actors working to change the world by providing the resources, networks, convening power, and technologies to move them from idea to impact. In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to address the emerging challenges facing humankind through innovation, intervention and influence in order to shape agendas and inform decision making. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org
About 100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation
100 Resilient Cities is dedicated to supporting cities to adopt and incorporate a resilience mindset in their planning, development, and community-building so that they are better prepared for and can quickly rebound from 21st century shocks and stresses. 100 Resilient Cities enables cities around the world to develop and implement resilience plans, provides city leaders a forum to share and learn from others’ experiences, and connects them with suppliers, thinkers, and stakeholders who can help them improve their city’s resilience. 100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, is financially supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and managed as a sponsored project by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides governance and operational infrastructure to its sponsored projects. Learn more about RPA at www.rockpa.org.