Monday, December 2, 2024
By: Carla Brisotto
The Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER) at the University of Florida is excited to announce a new program aimed at supporting small rural communities in Florida as they work to adapt to climate change and environmental challenges.
The “Interdisciplinary Urban Design for a Resilient Future” program is made possible through the generous support of the Duke Energy Foundation. The program is designed specifically for the small towns within Duke Energy’s 13,000-square-mile service territory in Florida, who have been impacted by recent hurricanes.
“We know that securing funding and resources can be a significant challenge for many smaller communities,” said Jeff Carney, Director of FIBER. “This program is our way of providing direct assistance to these towns as they work to make their built environments more resilient in the face of climate change.”
The program will kick off in January/February with FIBER experts visiting the selected communities to conduct an initial assessment. This will be followed by a two-day workshop in Gainesville on May 22-23, where the mayors of those communities will have the opportunity to engage with urban resilience experts, participate in roundtable discussions, and explore potential design solutions for their towns.
“We want to empower these mayors with the knowledge, ideas, and guidance they need to translate their resilience goals into concrete, fundable projects,” said Dr. Carla Brisotto of FIBER. “By connecting them with leading experts in the field, we hope to help lay the groundwork for long-term, transformative change in these communities.”
Participation in the program is limited to eight mayors, along with FIBER faculty and selected University of Florida experts. To encourage open dialogue, there will be no media or city staff present during the visit and workshop.
Interested mayors have until December 13 to submit their application. To apply, visit the FIBER website at dcp.ufl.edu/fiber.
