Resilient Communities

What is a Resilient City?

A resilient city is a city that can withstand or prosper during disasters, both manmade and natural, by strengthening its underlying fabric and deepening its understanding of the risks that threaten its stability. This includes the resilience of both physical infrastructure as well as social, health, and economic systems. Resilient cities are able to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what hits them.

What Are The Challenges Requiring Resilience?

Daniel Herriges (2018) has criticized Cobb County's development model and fiscal sustainability:

Cobb County's growth model is described as a "Growth Ponzi Scheme," where the cost of maintaining infrastructure exceeds the revenue generated by new development. This unsustainable model leads to fiscal strain, impacting public services and community resilience.
1. Furthermore, obb County has experienced significant flooding, which highlights the need for robust disaster response infrastructure. While efforts like FEMA's community resilience estimates help identify at-risk areas, more proactive measures are needed to enhance resilience ()
The county faces significant unfunded liabilities for infrastructure maintenance, which can lead to reduced public services and increased costs for residents. This affects the overall quality of life and resilience during crises.
Cobb County has experienced rising poverty rates, particularly in areas like South Cobb. The response to poverty has often been punitive rather than supportive, exacerbating social and economic disparities.
1. The lack of affordable housing and rising costs exacerbate economic instability for many residents, particularly those with lower incomes. This insecurity can lead to increased stress and vulnerability during crises ()

Areas like Marietta and Fair Oaks have high percentages of residents with multiple risk factors, making them more vulnerable to disasters. Addressing these disparities is crucial for building community resilience.

Current Efforts & Future Solutions

Cobb County, GA, has been focusing on building resilience among its residents through various initiatives and events. The Cobb Collaborative (n.d.) organized Resiliency Week in February 2024, which included a Partner Breakfast, the 3rd annual Resilient Cobb Summit, a Wellness Walk, and a Resiliency Dinner and Retreat. These events aimed to foster systemic empathy and encourage community members to take steps toward a more empathetic and resilient community.

One Resiliency Week Attendee even quoted: "I have become very encouraged and grateful for our Cobb County community connecting the dots in order to better serve our community with a wholeness approach; physical, financial, economic, spiritual and mental! Everyone has a piece of the whole and when we come together for the goodwill of the community from the least to the greatest; we become knitted together in a way that actually works!" (Cobb Collaborative, n.d.)

It really shows that Cobb County is trying, but there is still room for improvement, such as fostering inclusive conversations with community leaders and members.

Resilience Through the Police

Remember the poor actions of the city back during the pandemic at the height of BLM when people vandalized Atlanta and demanded the city defunded the police?

While driving around Marietta, Vinings, and Smyrna for 6 weeks, I've noticed that there were more cop cars on the roads than ever before. Why is that? What is the impact? Is it due to governmental changes or is it a response to provide increased feelings of safety and security in the area? How do communities stay resilient during these times? Unfortunately, I couldn't find much online about the situation, but in 2024, I saw a cop car maybe once every two weeks. Now, I see at least two cop cars a day. Is the city past its trauma of Black Lives Matter riots and city vandalism?

A Smyrna Police car that was diagonal to my car in Marietta.

Community resilience is not just about policing but also about fostering inclusive environments where all residents feel valued and supported. This includes addressing systemic issues like economic disparities and ensuring that community spaces are welcoming to all. The Police Departments are not excluded from this. Thus, for Cobb County residents to regain trust in their police once more after feeling unsafe with the unjustified deaths of minorities is a form of resilience.

On another note, I saw the military driving through on US-41/Cobb Parkway in Marietta. This is rare in my side of town. It is both interesting, but a bit concerning as well. I, however, have more trust in my community seeing that the military and government will have our backs when a crisis hits - true resilience.