Research Symposium

BIO

Hello! My name is Alexis Staveski, and I am originally from Tampa, Florida. I am a first-year student in the Exploratory Program, and I plan to pursue a dual degree in computational science and economics. My involvements on campus include the Presidential Scholars Program, Student Foundation, and the Nineteen Ten Honorary.

An Analysis of Local Resilience Challenges in the United States

Abstract

This project analyzes the prevalence of multiple resilience challenges within local U.S. governments. These challenges can be broken down into five different classifications: Natural Environment Resilience and Climate Change (E), Natural Disasters (D), Socio-Economic Resilience (SE), Built Environment and Infrastructure Resilience (I), and Government and Institutional Resilience (G). In order to identify the incidence of these challenges, a survey was emailed to 11,148 local government leaders from 1,246 cities with a total population of more than 30,000 residents. The survey received 496 responses with 254 complete responses. The results were analyzed utilizing Excel and basic statistical measures to determine which challenges are most prevalent in local communities. Results are preliminary; however, it appears that the most frequent responses include those concerning economic inequality and climate change. Local governments struggle to cope with manifestations of these issues, such as rising carbon emissions and a lack of affordable housing.

Keywords: Local government, sustainability, and resilience challenges