Dr. Rob Newell and I will be presenting at a conference in the United Kingdom, November 30 to December 3, 2020. Rob is a former graduate of MEM, my former post-doc and Banting Fellow and is now the Associate Director, Food and Agriculture Institute, University of the Fraser Valley. The conference, Healthy City Design International’s focus is Designing resilient communities: Recovery, renewal and renaissance.
I thought you might be interested in a sneak preview at our presentation. We will be arguing that effectively addressing pandemic vulnerabilities and increasing local resilience requires thinking beyond solely pandemic responses and taking more holistic perspectives that integrate sustainability objectives. Pandemic preparedness and climate action in particular share similarities in terms of needs and approaches for community sustainability. We reflect on what the outbreak has illustrated regarding community vulnerability to crises, with a focus on local economy and production, economic diversification, and social connectivity. We will argue for integrated approaches to community development that increase our capacity to respond to both public health and climate crises.
