Sustainability and Resilience Planning for Local Governments

Review

“As a primer, the strengths of Alibašić’s book include: 1) a comprehensive discussion of the history of sustainability and resilience planning; 2) definitions of key terms; and, 3) ideas for and examples of communities―“spotlights”―where these ideas have been implemented. Importantly, the approach Alibašić advocates for public administrators to implement and ensure sustainability and resilience also includes metrics for assessing progress along the way, further ensuring that the rhetoric will be translated into tangible achievements. In this way, Alibašić offers what might be called an “integrated approach” for planning: context, theory, application, assessment, and recommendations for future planning.
Alibašić’s book also provides those who teach public administration―especially those teaching courses in county/city/municipal governance―a helpful resource.” (Richard M. Jacobs, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration, Department of Public Administration, Villanova University, Villanova, PA)“Haris Alibašić has written a masterful primer for those interested in sustainability and resilience. The concise and factual review of the roles local government portrayed in this book is a must-read for any elected and appointed official in counties, cities, townships, and villages. From practical to theoretical, the author weaves through an important narrative on why cities and their leaders must engage in sustainability and resilience planning. For those who live and breathe city planning, this book offers a greater understanding of how we implement and measure the quality of life and sustainable improvements in our cities, preparing them for the worst and the best of times ahead.” (John Dailey, The City of Tallahassee, Mayor)



Product Description

This book details a process of creating a long-term sustainability and resilience plan for local governments to use in designing and implementing sustainability and resilience-related policies, initiatives, and programs. It offers guidance and methods in applying sustainability and resilience strategies to attain the prosperity of organizations and communities. The recommendations in this book are based on the author's years of experience in directing applied resilience and sustainability planning for a local government, and years of research covering diverse aspects of sustainability and resilience from climate change, climate preparedness and readiness, quadruple bottom line strategy, greenhouse gas emission reduction policies, climate adaptation and mitigation to sustainable energy policies and initiatives.

Chapter one defines terms related to sustainability and resilience and addresses how the topics reshape local governments and communities. Chapter two maps out the sustainability and resilience process for organizations and communities, determining the appropriate steps to be taken at each level of sustainability and resilience planning. Chapter three identifies community and organizational level engagement, with internal and external stakeholders, including designs necessary throughout these processes. Chapter four contains measuring, tracking, monitoring and reporting methods using the quadruple bottom line strategy, and developing a sustainability and resilience progress report to ensure accountability, transparency, and good governance. Then, chapter five details the implementation of a sustainability and resilience plan once it is established, describing potential programs and initiatives to achieve sustainable and resilient communities. Chapter six describes the intersection between sustainability and resilience, and chapter seven examines the tools and resources available to create a practical sustainability and resilience plan. Chapter eight concludes the text by addressing the future of sustainability and resilience, and complexities of the modern dynamics of the interconnected systems in cities, counties, and organizations, and recommends how local government admin