Building Community Resilience

Chester, the oldest city in Pennsylvania, has experienced population and economic decline. In 1995 the city was declared financially distressed, but recent revitalization efforts have repurposed portions of the abandoned industrial riverfront.

To complement the revitalization, Pennsylvania Sea Grant and other partners used NOAA’s Roadmap for Adapting to Coastal Risk. This process guidance helps communities identify exposure to current and future threats and incorporate relevant data and information into existing planning and decision-making efforts. As a result the city's comprehensive plan, Vision 2020, contains climate adaptation goals. Through this process, Pennsylvania Sea Grant also established a lasting partnership with local, regional, state, and federal groups that will continue to build coastal Pennsylvania’s hazards resilience. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/chester

Partners: City of Chester, Pennsylvania; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; Environmental Protection Agency; ICF International; NOAA Office for Coastal Management; Partnership for the Delaware Estuary; Pennsylvania Sea Grant; Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access; White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities