- Planning focused on equity-centered project facilitation
- Performed community-driven engagement to proactively include inclusive public input on climate vulnerabilities and climate action
- Developed comprehensive multi-benefit Climate and Community Resilience Plans
- GZA was selected to Implement a Seed Project for a park redesign planning project in Milford
Challenge
GZA partnered with ClimateThrive Community Strategies and Tribesy Consulting in three separate contracts to support the Town of Milford, City of Northampton, and Town of Arlington through the MVP 2.0 Process. Together, the team offered community and stakeholder engagement services to achieve equity-driven projects to benefit people who are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. GZA’s role on the team for the three MVP 2.0 Plans included project management, participation in meetings with the core team and community liaisons, data management and visualization ( each project), and scoping the seed project (in Milford).
Solution
We supported the Town in progressing through the elements of the MVP 2.0 process in accordance with three primary tenets of the program:
- Equity-Centered Project Facilitation: Working to understand the lived experiences of local communities through a JEDI Lens (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion). In particular, a community impact approach considers the ways communities and groups are affected directly and indirectly while examining the impacts of intended or unintended exclusion that may require addressing harm to engage with these communities.
- Community-Driven Processes: Providing equity-centered integrated planning and facilitation in a climate resilience context, by building the collaborative capacity of local governments and community members through a holistic facilitation process that honors all perspectives. The results are effective, comprehensive multi-benefit climate resilience plans and projects with broad community support.
- Climate and Community Resilience: Utilizing the process of “Risk-Informed Decision Making,” consistent with the recommendations of federal agencies such as FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers, to support climate adaptation, mitigation, and community resilience such as hazard analysis and vulnerability assessment, climate mitigation and adaptation planning, design of resilience projects, and project financing.
Benefit
Milford: GZA was the vendor selected for implementation of the seed project, the Parks Hub Enhancement Plan, which focused on the most vulnerable populations in Milford by conducting 1) a Town-wide parks inventory and high-level parks improvement strategy; and 2) a specific park redesign planning process.
Northampton & Arlington: GZA successfully supported each community through the MVP 2.0 planning process, including development of their seed project plan.