A Managed-Participatory Approach to Community Resilience: The Case of the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program

Abstract

Research shows that resilient communities are best achieved through active public participation, informed by local input. However, post-disaster strategies in the United States are typically federally led and top-down in nature. We present an exploratory case study of resilience planning in New York State in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which is a combination of public participation and government supervision. We name this approach “managed-participation” because it emphasizes engaging the public in post-disaster planning, guided by a high degree of state-level leadership. We adapt a theoretical proposition of horizontal and vertical integration framework for an exploratory analysis of the case. We find that New York’s approach contributes to both horizontal and vertical integration of impacted communities by enhancing active participation in resilience efforts, and taking advantage of the state government’s position to connect local needs with federal funding. Furthermore, by utilizing expertise and funding support to guide and translate local knowledge, it produces potentially more viable resilience plans.