Durham Strategic Plan Dashboard
Prosperity
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Initiative: 5.22 Conduct community resiliency planning
Thriving & Vibrant Environment
Description
A healthy, resilient community is prepared to weather the irreversible impacts of climate change - and continue to thrive. Our community is at risk for flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, and other risks. We know that these impacts do not affect everyone in the City in the same way. Communities of low wealth and communities of color are often the most vulnerable to climate impacts and the least able to bounce back when disaster strikes. The City is undertaking a range of actions -- and coordinating with Durham County -- to promote community resilience strategies that will produce actionable solutions. Solutions may include nature-based initiatives, such as planting more trees in urban heat islands, identification of neighborhood resilience hubs that incorporate on-site solar arrays and battery storage, and coordinating services, education, and outreach to help residents prepare and cope with climate-related and other emergencies.
Key Measures & Data Analysis
City staff are proceeding with project-based best practices for increasing resiliency, which include providing centrally located sites and buildings that can operate and promote public safety and access to emergency provisions in acute disasters and chronic climate stressors. City efforts to improve energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in all major City buildings will also improve resiliency, especially in community centers and other buildings used by community members. Increasing urban forests and native landscapes -- and reducing impervious surfaces -- are established responses to minor floods and heavy rains. However, it remains a challenge that the City does not have a comprehensive blueprint for coordinated resilience actions with quantified costs and benefits.
Climate Vulnerability in Durham County
Why is it important?
Durham residents are already feeling the impacts of climate change: extreme heat, flooding, more frequent and severe storms, and worsening air pollution. An equitable, sustainable, and collaborative approach to improving community resilience will ensure that our residents are better prepared to cope with climate impacts before, during and after an emergency.
What have we been doing?
- In the absence of a comprehensive resilience plan for the City, staff have advanced a range of resilience planning and implementation efforts focused on reducing Durham's vulnerability to climate-related risks through energy, water, forestry, and facility resilience investments.
Key activities include:
- Advancing the Resilience Hub Pilot at WD Hill — working to install a solar and battery storage project to create a community facility that can operate during power outages — supported by funding with an EECBG voucher.
- Exploring the possibility of using other community centers, libraries or public schools for resilience hubs in the future
- Assessing seven City-owned buildings for on-site solar arrays and potential additional resilience features (see Item 5.12)
- Continuing Urban and Community Forestry Planning and Implementation to improve tree canopy coverage, stormwater management, and climate adaptation.
- Prioritizing native landscapes and xeriscaping in City landscaping.
- Advancing City resilience actions across operations (PWOC Admin Building Relocation, City Hall Backup generation), water management (Long Range Water Resource Planning, Water Shortage Response Plan), and community infrastructure (Tree Canopy Assessment, Flood Warning System, Stormwater Development Review).
- City staff are also working to coordinate with, and support, the County in developing a Heat Action Plan.
Note that the plan to assess buildings identified as potential resilience hubs for energy efficiency and solar readiness through the Central Pines Regional Council (Building Community Resilience Through Regional Connections and Energy Investments) had to be substantially downsized due to a loss of federal grant funding. That effort is now funded with a small portion of the originally committed matching funds for the federal grant, which came from SSDN and Duke Energy. Due to the extremely limited amount of funding remaining and the new scope of grant-funded services, that project is now unlikely to serve the City of Durham or advance the City's resilience plans.
What's next?
Work to strengthen Durham's community resilience infrastructure will continue through the following activities:
• WD Hill Resilience Hub – Install solar array and battery storage at WD Hill Recreation Center.
• Resilience Hub Evaluations – Continuing to explore potential facilities that might be appropriate resilience hub sites.
• Urban Forestry and Native Landscaping – Continuing tree canopy planning and implementation efforts. Promote and install more native and drought-resistant landscapes.
• Biophilic Cities Network – Completing participation in the Biophilic Cities Network by July 2026
- Continue advancing City resilience actions across operations (PWOC Admin Building Relocation, City Hall Backup generation), water management (Long Range Water Resource Planning, Water Shortage Response Plan), and community infrastructure (Tree Canopy Assessment, Flood Warning System, Stormwater Development Review).
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