100 Resilient Cities (100RC), and the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge are pioneering programs created by the Rockefeller Foundation with the goal of helping cities around the world develop resilience to the physical, social, and economic challenges that are a growing part of life in the 21st century.
The 100RC Challenge invites cities to assess how well prepared they are to respond to disruptions at least and catastrophe at worst. The winning application will be awarded funding to hire a Chief Resilience Officer, technical support, and membership in the 100RC network of platform partners that offer tools in finance, infrastructure, land use and technology as well as community and social resilience.
As the closing date for entry approaches, applicants are polishing their applications and working to make their proposals stand out for the 100RC administrators. Applicant cities are able to work with network members to improve on their submissions. The Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Pittsburgh observed that key elements of their application resulting in the involvement of more stakeholders and the development of a more inclusive grasp of the history and character of their city.
Most critical to a successful application was a careful assessment of the ways in which the city would embrace the 100RC program. Pittsburgh elevated their Chief Resilience Officer as a part of their application, which meant that the application itself improved the city’s program, whether or not their submission wins the award.
This year’s applications close on November 24, but the thoughtful application process that involves both past award-winners with the new submissions means that the impact of the applications will serve all the participating cities, not just the award recipient.
Jill Rundle, Editor, Global Solution Networks