Boosting Florida Sea Grant: “Coastal Resilience, Adaptation, Equity”

This proposal aims to expand FSG’s capacity to work in collaborative and integrative ways to address the state’s coastal resilience needs, as well as promote DEIJA (diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility). Working with the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies (Shimberg Center), FSG will support the development of a statewide resiliency initiative (“Disaster Resilient Florida”) that integrates science, communication, planning, design, and outreach to support communities addressing coastal climate change challenges with an orientation towards underserved communities. Specifically, this partnership will advance the awareness of, and planning and preparation for, the impacts of coastal climate change on affordable housing across Florida. To meet this goal, the FSG and the Shimberg Center will develop a “Disaster Resilient Florida” (DRF) initiative that focuses on:
– Advancing local communities’ capacities and capabilities
– Creating experiential educational opportunities for students
– Expanding partnerships and collaborations
– Supporting marginalized, racialized, and underserved communities
– Institutionalizing a focus on issues at the nexus of climate change and affordable housing
Project Outcomes will include:
– Advancing the awareness of, and planning and preparation for, the impacts of coastal climate change on affordable housing across Florida
– Integrating the perspectives of multiple disciplines including science, communication, planning, design, and outreach to create a more resilient and equitable housing ecosystem.
– Training the next generation of science, planning, and design leaders of the future.
– Building capacity of FSG and the Shimberg Center to undertake new activities through research, education, and outreach to address these challenges.
– Creating new opportunities for collaboration across established and emerging researchers in historically underrepresented groups to develop new knowledge and information.
– Creating institutional infrastructure within which to promote awareness of the issues at the nexus of climate change and housing, as well as to develop actions to support communities making housing more resilient and equitable.