Bridging the Gap: Mobilizing Investment for Community Resilience in High Point, NC

Abstract

With evolving political conditions, competing priorities, and growing natural hazard frequency and severity, it’s difficult for cities to obtain the financing needed for critical resilience projects. The goal of this project was to identify opportunities for new funding mechanisms for resilience projects in High Point, North Carolina and to connect data-driven analysis to the city’s capital improvement planning to recommend a reliable, forward-looking financial approach focused on engaging public-private partnerships and local businesses to invest in resiliency projects. This project utilized a literature review, GIS analyses of vulnerability and flood risk data, and investment research to create a wholistic approach to resiliency planning for High Point. Recommendations included areas of focus for resiliency work, integration of resiliency into existing capital improvement projects, and methods to increase public-private partnerships for co-development of projects.