The National League of Cities (NLC) recently announced the eight new cities who will participate in its Leadership in Community Resilience program. Each city will receive $10,000 in direct financial support, plus technical assistance and professional development opportunities to help them meet community-specific resiliency goals.
“The Leadership in Community Resilience program builds the capacity of cities across America to take action on climate change,” said Cooper Martin, program director for NLC’s Sustainable Cities Institute. “We are proud of this history, and we’re excited to help this new group of cities forge the kind of bright, sustainable future their residents deserve.”
The chosen cities are Anchorage, AK; Ann Arbor, MI; Denton, TX; Durham, NC; Evanston, IL; Jersey City, NJ; Park City, UT; and, Roeland Park, KS. The goal of the program is to generate new insights related to the challenges and opportunities associated with local resilience initiatives. In the future, it is expected that the lessons learned will be used to help hundreds of NLC member cities achieve greater resiliency for their residents and prepare the nation for the effects of climate change and other hazards. The Leadership in Community Resilience program is financially supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and by Wells Fargo. Thriving Earth Exchange and ecoAmerica are also providing technical assistance with additional tools and resources to support the cities.
“From the western fires to the increased hurricane activity ravaging the coasts, climate change is a real threat to our nation’s cities, towns and villages,” said Clarence E. Anthony, NLC’s chief executive officer and executive director. “We are excited to welcome eight new cities to our annual Leadership in Community Resilience Program. Through collaboration, innovative approaches, and an unmatched passion for supporting their communities, I’m confident that these local leaders will advance policies and programs to address their biggest local challenges.”
