​PBC's Office of Resilience recently wrapped up a community engagement initiative, funded by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), to engage frontline residents in climate vulnerability and resiliency planning efforts. OOR worked with PBC nonprofit Community Partners of South Florida (CPSFL) and County Departments to host 3 community workshops and conduct a community survey to better integrate social equity into climate resilience planning. OOR sought to learn what climate change impacts PBC frontline communities are already experiencing, which community assets they value most, and what types of climate adaptation and mitigation projects they would like the County to prioritize. The USDN grant funded participant stipends, food, childcare, and language translation services, which helped reduce barriers to workshop participation.

The community survey showed a majority agreed with the assets, climate risk impacts, and investment priorities of the community workshop conversations. Respondents indicated affordable housing and flooding are major issues that they would like to see addressed. OOR will use the project results and lessons learned in PBC's ongoing climate change vulnerability assessment and resilience action plan project. Thank you to USDN, CPSFL, FAU Pine Jog, PBC Departments including Criminal Justice Commission, Community Revitalization, Community Services, Libraries, Youth Services, and community partners for your leadership in this project! View thePBC OOR USDN Final Report.pdf for the full project report.​