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    Planning Tools

What is Resilient Connecticut?

CIRCA, in coordination with state agencies, regional councils of governments (COGs) and municipalities, has initiated Resilient Connecticut, as part of the HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition. Resilient Connecticut provides the state with a Planning Framework piloted in the Superstorm Sandy impacted regions of New Haven and Fairfield Counties. The project focuses on regional resilience and adaptation planning through engagement and risk assessments that inform municipal to regional scale initiatives and pilot projects. Resilient Connecticut’s guiding principle is to establish resilient communities through smart planning that incorporates economic development framed around transit-oriented development, conservation strategies, and critical infrastructure improvements. read more...


Planning Tools

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Innovative planning that incorporates technical knowledge & leads to policy development & project implementation.

Technical Tools

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Developing map viewers, storymaps, datasets, & guidance documents to inform planning & decision-making.

Field Research

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Deploying instruments, analyzing data, & developing models to better understand site conditions & demonstration projects.

Engagement

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Working with stakeholders to build capacity & partnerships through events, outreach, & tool development.

Highlights and Features

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New Story Maps Launched

Four new ESRI Story Maps highlighting ROARs (Resilience Opportunity Areas) in WestCOG, MetroCOG, SCRCOG, and NVCOG. ROARs represent the intersection of climate-induced flooding and heat risks with vulnerable populations and planning priorities such as affordable housing, transit-oriented development, wastewater infrastructure, and drinking water infrastructure. Municipalities and residents can use these interactive Story Maps to explore neighborhoods with strong potential for climate resilience projects alongside map layers that can be switched on to display measures of flood and heat vulnerability, social vulnerability, and other planning investments in each area. Seven of these ROAR sites have been selected for funding and implementation in Phase III of the Resilient Connecticut Project

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Resilient Connecticut Expands Statewide

CIRCA received State funds to expand Resilient Connecticut from southwest Connecticut to the entire State. “Resilient Connecticut 2.0” will include a statewide expansion of the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) followed by  adaptation project development in the communities of the Hartford area and southeastern Connecticut. This effort will help develop the “resilience project pipeline” as referenced in the Governor’s Executive Order 21-3. Read more about next steps and how you can get involved.

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10 Steps to Municipal Resilience

CIRCA describes “10 Steps to Municipal Resilience” in a new fact sheet to help CT towns and cities adapt to the growing impacts of climate change. Along with the fact sheet are two additional resources: 1) a website that describes both CIRCA’s and other organizations’ resources and tools to help communities implement the 10 steps and 2) a video featuring Professors Jim O’Donnell  and Joe MacDougald who provide informal commentary and added insight for each of the 10 steps.  

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New Information Series

CIRCA is embarking on a new information series designed to package fact sheets, case studies, and white papers over the next year. To launch this effort, we are releasing a new fact sheet describing our Institute and Resilient Connecticut. Complementing this general fact sheet is a case study on Branford's Coastal Resiliency Reserve Fund. Check out these new "Information for a More Resilient Connecticut" products: