Hoboken’s Southwest Park combines passive green space and flood mitigation to meet the neighborhood's needs. It is New Jersey's first resiliency park with integrated green infrastructure to mitigate flooding. The 1-acre Park is designed to mitigate flooding in the southwest Hoboken neighborhood by detaining 200,000 gallons of stormwater runoff through a series of green infrastructure installations including: rain gardens, porous pavers, a cistern for rainwater harvesting, and an underground detention system. Constructed with low-interest financing from the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program (NJEIFP), the park design includes open lawn recreational space, a dog park, pop-up market, multi-level seating for small performances, and restrooms which provides a central square and public space for the residents living in public housing nearby. 

While the Hoboken model is especially comprehensive (a result of the extent of destruction in that city during Hurricane Sandy and the central focus of funding there), Hudson Valley communities are demonstrating similar methods – for example, Kingston’s “weaving the waterfront” design for flood-resilient waterfront parklands and Newburgh’s green roof on the SUNY Orange campus near the Hudson. The current wave of infrastructure funding obviously provides an expanded opportunity to redesign public spaces for climate resilience.

A key strategy for future-proofing public spaces against climate stresses is to create “community resiliency zones” or “resilience hubs” in already developed areas. These can begin where there are motivated owners, by installing renewable energy and storage, EV infrastructure, emergency shelter, stormwater management systems, wifi and other amenities that directly benefit users of the public space.  An ordinary area such as a community center, parking lot, transit station, under-utilized mall or commercial building can serve this purpose, and can demonstrate the approach even at a small scale. The Mid-Hudson and Ramapo-Catskill Library Systems have taken leadership in this work in 2024, by providing training and consultation for member libraries on creation of “resilience hubs.”  While taking varied approaches, most of the hubs will begin with community resources and programming that can engage a wide network, including the community based organizations and county COADs in development.

In light of the frequency and broad distribution of climate disasters, the planning agenda for recovery goes beyond conventional disaster mitigation, into creating the infrastructure that helps communities to withstand the next event.  A conceptual proposal by Rockland Goes Green suggests investing in community’s response capacity by ensuring that health care workers and first responders have access to reliable transportation.  Because power outages can affect gas stations’ ability to operate, a key to supporting first responders is to help them switch to electric vehicles and build a network of solar + storage micro-grids that first responders can access on a priority basis.  These Resiliency Zones could start with extensive solar arrays or district geothermal systems, whether parking lot canopies, rooftop installations, and/or ground mount systems.  Energy storage, EV charging stations, and islanding capability can be added, so the system works when the electric grid is down.  These “resiliency zones” can be located at existing parking lots including medical facilities, campuses, fair grounds, park-and-ride lots and other sites with extensive parking and/or flat roofs. 

The process for shaping local projects for adaptation and resilience is as critical as their design features. There is growing recognition that resilience planning and preparation have to begin with, and be sustained by, residents themselves. This is important from an equity perspective and also to bring creativity to bear in dealing with resource limitations.  Experts in this realm have a wealth of knowledge and tools to share, but it needs to be paired with intimate knowledge of the history, people, and context in a given place. Adaptation projects must be understood as alive and designed to adapt to the changing needs of the community over time.  The toolkit of placemaking ties together resilience in the natural and built environments with resilience in community relations and the local economy by taking a systems approach to designing entire places that work for people, reduce long term stressors, enhance public benefits, and create economic opportunities as well.  This allows for more opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions, relationship building, and community-based idea generation.

Case Study: A Community Microgrid at Vail Buick:

A WestchestCounty car dealership has taken a significant step in support of community resilience by integrating a microgrid system that combines solar power, energy storage, and EV charging stations. The system is designed to maximize energy efficiency by utilizing solar panels to generate clean energy, which is then stored in batteries for later use. This setup not only powers the dealership’s operations but also ensures the availability of energy for EV charging, even during grid outages, highlighting the dealership’s commitment to supporting the growing demand for elel

Water and Climate Resilience

The importance of flood resilience planning and preparation was discussed in the Land and Water Stewardship section of this Road Map. But the management of water resources has not kept up with climate change. There is no New York State agency tasked with planning for droughts or planning to ensure adequate water supply for our communities.

There are actually disincentives to water conservation in the pricing of water and in local policy. For example, water utilities may derive major revenues from expanding water supply rather than conserving. However, to encourage conservation and efficient use, we need to establish a hierarchy of water supply options, with conservation and efficiency at the top and the most water intensive supply sources (desalination and wastewater reuse) understood as the option of last resort. This will require substantial redesign of the policymaking and regulatory system including information flows, incentives and disincentives, and rules for managing water resources.

The response could be a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder, state-level process to reassess and redesign the incentives and rules connected with the entire system of water supply management, with the goal of incentivizing the most climate-positive, environmentally benign and affordable approaches to water supply delivery.  

• Establish water conservation and efficiency as an important goal for all state agencies and train and staff appropriately; hire conservation experts at the DPS / PSC. 

• Direct DPS staff to set water conservation as an important goal in oversight of water utilities. 

• Consider implementation of a Systems Benefit Charge for water utilities, similar to that in the energy field, for improved water use efficiency programs.

• Continue to adopt specific metrics in NYS Code for water efficient fixtures, appliances, and lawn watering equipment, in line with WaterSense standards.

• Define requirements, provide support and guidance (such as guidance documents, model ordinances and policies); ensure oversight by the state for the creation of water conservation plans and programs (including independent assessment),ensure regulating bodies have appropriate enforcement capability and staff with the needed expertise.

• Establish metrics for conservation programs based on demands that most stress water supply.

Because the public has lived under water policies that have had limited enforcement, and because there is widespread perception that water is abundant in our region, encouraging water conservation in the general public is not easy.  However, it is entirely possible and widely accomplished.  A public-facing program should be designed and funded to advance:

-- water-efficient lawn and garden practices, an area of enormous potential savings

-- water-efficient residential toilets, showerheads, faucets

-- appliance and fixture upgrades

-- efficiency measures for commercial and industrial facilities, targeted especially to water-intensive practices

There are well established tools and tactics for these purposes.   A study commissioned by the Rockland Water Coalition in 2020 recommends:

• Water audits – for larger users, including residential and industrial

• Rebates for efficiency measures

• Giveaways of less expensive items such as pre-rinse spray valves and low-flow shower heads;

• Advanced billing practices; 

• Public education;

• Requirements for more efficient industrial equipment and equipment for water-intensive commercial enterprises such as hospitals and healthcare facilities, laundromats, data centers, and restaurants,;

• Identification of high demand customers and evaluation of demand reduction measures targeted to these customers; 

• Direct install programs for more efficient fixtures in low income housing where cost-effective.

• Continue to adopt specific metrics in NYS Code for water efficient fixtures, appliances, lawn watering equipment, in line with WaterSense standards.

• Consider implementation of a Systems Benefit Charge for water utilities, similar to that in the energy field, for improved water use efficiency programs.

• Develop and maintain model ordinances and models at the state level for water conservation policies

• Require water conservation rates, based on best practices 

• Consider a requirement for replacement of inefficient appliances and fixtures at the time of property sale.

Programs using these tactics need and deserve significant public investment and may also attract private sponsorship or social venture development. 

Water that leaks out of community water distribution systems causes increased costs for consumers and wastes energy used for pumping and treating the water. Reducing these losses can save money, reduce GHG emissions and leave more water in natural ecosystems for recreation, habitat and other benefits. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to prevention and repair of leaks throughout the water distribution system. 

The remedy is to establish stricter standards for reducing water losses in water distribution systems and expand resources for leak detection and system maintenance where needed.  While a statewide policy initiative would be most efficient and consistent, county governments could take the lead in steps to increase attention to water system efficiency.

Require water utilities to conduct annual water loss audits, using the latest AWWA Water Loss Audit version.

• Establish stricter standards for repair and maintenance. 

• Require cost-effective but aggressive loss reduction in particular for stressed water systems with established minimum water loss (e.g. 15%)

• Establish best management practices for reduction of leaks.

• Limit or halt new development in stressed systems facing need for new water supply until water loss has been significantly reduced.  

• Educate local governments on the importance of budget planning for water infrastructure maintenance and leak prevention.

• Communicate success stories through networks of water system operators.

There is currently no formal tracking of demand in approved and proposed projects in some areas of the state that have faced water shortages in the past. It is left to local discretion to track water availability and how it compares to current use and future need. Planning  ahead is the best way to avoid the need for expensive and possibly energy intensive new water supply projects.  Watershed protection, conservation, efficiency, and leak prevention and repair take time to develop - and funding.  Formal tracking of demand should be required of municipalities to make these options more viable.  A more robust process for monitoring water availability and tracking water use and development plans, can be implemented at the regional scale through coordination by county and regional government agencies, potentially building on the foundation of a local or county policy. 

Economic Resilience 

When Hurricane Sandy struck, its biggest economic damages did not come from direct impacts, but from the inability of businesses to resume operations.  Two key aspects of economic resilience are supporting businesses and commercial districts in preparing for emergencies and adapting to changing conditions of all sorts, and a supply chain that revolves around locally available materials wherever possible, in order to minimize disruptions. The local self-reliance and entrepreneurship movements are thriving in the Hudson Valley, but more can be done. The Fab Cities movement, launched in 2014 by the Mayor of Barcelona, has issued a call to action:

We need to reinvent our cities and their relationship to people and nature by re-localizing production so that cities are generative rather than extractive, restorative rather than destructive, and empowering rather than alienating, where prosperity flourishes, and people have purposeful, meaningful work that they enjoy, that enables them to use their passion and talent. We need to recover the knowledge and capacity on how things are made in our cities, by connecting citizens with the advanced technologies that are transforming our everyday life.

Expanding access to technology and ownership of economic assets will foster economic resilience as well as environmental justice. In fact, many practices that contribute to climate resilience are emerging industries, from cool roofs to microgrids to green infrastructure construction.  Strategies for accomplishing this include community-based education and training, supports for business expansion connected with local hiring and training, and diversified ownership models including co-ops, land banks, and land trusts.  New models for more widely accessible local investment funds -- designed to allow small investments in Main Street businesses -- are under investigation by Bard MBA faculty member Michael Shuman. Bringing this whole suite of opportunities to the attention of Hudson Valley communities and investors is a step toward economic resilience.  Analyzing regional supply chain and investment flows could be a key step toward developing an economic resilience strategy around improving local supply and increasing local investment. 

Psychological and Social Resilience

Psychological and social resilience are the critical elements that our communities’ ability to adapt to climate change depends on. Ninety percent of US counties have experienced at least one significant climate disaster, according to Rebuild by Design’s report, Disaster Atlas. The American Psychological Association notes that:

“Major mental health impacts [of climate change] include increases in the incidence of stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as increases in more severe reactions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research indicates that women, children, and older adults tend to be especially vulnerable to the psychological impacts of climate change, especially those related to stress and anxiety. While existing research has focused primarily on the mental health effects of climate change that will come about from disasters, climate change’s more gradual effects, like rising temperatures and changing landscapes, also have important implications for human psychology.”

Training mental health and social service professionals to understand these stresses and support their clients in responding is key. And the most valuable response is not simply coping, but translating concern into action which results in a sense of agency as well as in tangible benefits. And helping professionals themselves need support and self-care to prevent burnout.  The Hudson Valley has valuable resources like the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz and Garrison Institute’s Contemplative-Based Resilience program for caregivers.

A key strategy for promoting social resilience is building community-based initiatives to adapt to climate change in ways that also enhance everyday well-being and build a sense of participation. There is a growing movement of ordinary people and grassroots groups that are organizing to build resilience by engaging the community in understanding and dealing with climate stresses in the larger context of making the community more livable. Community institutions such as libraries and health care facilities play an especially important role.  Libraries are hubs for education and activity with substantial resources for lifelong learning, meeting space, and technology, adding up to capacity for showcasing new ideas and resources in a holistic manner.  Sixteen libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System are participating in the Library of Local program with Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley, offering education and resources such as tools (for loan) and seeds for their communities. A growing number of libraries in the Hudson Valley are enrolled in the Sustainable Libraries Initiative's award-winning Sustainable Library Certification program, and the Mid-Hudson Library System itself is the first public library system in the country to be certified. 

Hospitals and urgent care clinics have been leading in establishing backup power and energy security, making them another group of leaders with the potential to help develop climate resilience in their surrounding communities. Hospitals in particular recognize that they need not only to keep their facilities running, but also keep their  emergency responders’ vehicles and power supply viable. This could be a basis for encouraging hospital systems to invest in micro-grids that can provide renewable power for EV charging for first responders, while also enhancing  the grid and contributing to resiliency in health care delivery. 

Community based organizations play a critical role in preparing for, and recovering from, disasters.  To strengthen this connection, FEMA has created the national VOAD (Volunteers Active in Disaster) network, and New York is in the process of gearing up a counterpart Communities Active in Disaster.  Another model is Vermont’s CROS - Community Resilience Organizations - an example of  volunteer groups formed by local governments that set their own community’s agenda for climate resilience through regular gatherings, research and hands-on projects. Their work may include physical projects for flood-proofing or energy security. The CROS network focuses  heavily on community participation projects where neighbors meet neighbors and talk about mutual assistance needs and opportunities. There is also a role for public media platforms such as dedicated social media channels or even local radio. County COAD networks supporting grassroots CROS volunteer groups, and creating a dedicated communications network as a priority project,  could be a high-impact approach to achieving the enormous increases in capacity that are needed. 

A critical resource in local climate resilience is Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County’s support services, which have assisted dozens of Hudson Valley communities in creating basic climate resilience plans within the Climate Smart Communities program.  Potentially the best way to advance local climate resilience while managing “planning fatigue” is to implement these conceptual plans in phases, by working with Climate Smart volunteers and their networks through hyper-local projects focusing on “lighter, quicker, cheaper” approaches and including creation of communication channels and projects that benefit residents in good weather as well as in emergencies -- such as broadband, local food hubs, and energy security through microgrids.  Community institutions such as libraries are good candidates to coordinate this necessary planning, if enough partners are mobilized around a focus that brings widespread benefits. To build consensus and momentum on the critical work of climate adaptation, there is a need for a strategy that is both coordinated and flexible.  An approach is  to connect practitioners across specialties, geographies and organizations around the Hudson Valley as a Resilience Working Group  to engage communities and stakeholders in implementing aspects of this strategy according to their local priorities and capacities. This foundation can bring the expertise of current practitioners to bear in training and supporting the many more active participants that will be needed to make our neighborhoods climate-safe and help our neighbors to turn climate stress into creative impulse.  Given  fast paced unfolding of climate change impacts, intensive, formal planning processes have limitations; regardless, experts and stakeholders can gather, share knowledge, envision coordinated action and work together to develop climate resilience in the natural, built, economic and social environments.