We’ve all heard the speech by a politician where they talk about “resilience” or “emerging from crisis like a phoenix from the ashes”. But when it comes to city and regional economies, what does resilience actually mean beyond buzz phrases?
In addition to (attempting to) answer this question, this post will:
- Offer a definition of economic resilience that can be linked to local strategy
- Use the Fogo Island model championed by Zita Cobb and the Shorefast Foundation to the outline some of the ingredients of a resilient economy
- Reveal how the practices on this small, remote island in northern Newfoundland might also apply to larger metropolitan cities (or can they?)
- Conclude with some recommendations to get your city started down the path toward resilience