The American Planning Association (APA) has announced that the City of Jacksonville will be the recipient of the 2024 National Planning Award for Resilience and Sustainability for the Resilient Jacksonville strategy.  Each year this award recognizes a community that has taken exemplary steps to enhance its ability to adapt to shocks and stresses resulting in it becoming stronger, more equitable, and better prepared for the future.  

“The City of Jacksonville is honored to be recognized by the APA for our groundbreaking Resilient Jacksonville strategy,” said Mayor Donna Deegan. “We are proud of the innovative approach and the hard work our staff dedicated to this effort. It is vital that we work together with all stakeholders to achieve a resilient future for Jacksonville.”

Launched in October 2023, Resilient Jacksonvillelooks to the future of Jacksonville over the next 50 years and establishes an ambitious framework for tackling complex challenges over the coming decades.  

The American Planning Association recognizes Resilient Jacksonville for its innovative and comprehensive approach to resilience planning at multiple scales.  

“Through its grounded, science-based approach and collaborative process, Resilient Jacksonvillecreates a stronger and safer future for the city.” said Emily Liu, FAICP, 2024 APA awards jury chair.  "This dynamic strategy successfully identified key characteristics that will enhance resilience across Jacksonville’s vast landscape, addressing not only shoreline risks but also the diverse challenges faced by this expansive city."

In the year since the strategy’s release, the City of Jacksonville is proud to have moved swiftly into implementation, with 38 of the 45 actions in the document underway in the first year.  The City’s Office of Resilience has published an annual report on the strategy’s implementation, which can be found at http://www.jacksonville.gov/resilient.  

The City of Jacksonville would like to offer special thanks to the members of the strategy development team – The Water Institute, SCAPE, Fernleaf, Halff & Associates, and Acuity Design Group – as well as all governmental partners, subject matter experts, and members of the public who participated in the development of Resilient Jacksonville.