Economic Development Recovery and Resiliency Playbook - Flipbook - Page 72
destinations, and renowned dining and shopping areas specific to the community. Not only do these areas draw in visitors, but
they also contribute to the area’s existing economy by providing jobs to those living in the community.
Agricultural Products. While a community’s agricultural sector brings in revenue by exporting its goods and services,
communities with unique agricultural goods and services may also attract tourism. Some examples include wine and beer in
California’s Russian River Valley and agricultural products such as fruit, dairy, vegetables, and grains. These products not only
bring in revenue from tourism and exports, but they also provide jobs to the community and contribute to its economic stability.
Special Events. Another draw for your region and a great source of revenue are the various special events hosted by the
community. These may include concerts, festivals, and large national sporting events such as the Super Bowl or World Series,
as well as hosting corporate events or conferences and ofering specialized training. The attendees of these events contribute
to the local economy by purchasing tickets as well as buying food, beverages, and other services while attending the events.
Leveraging these events by ensuring local businesses are the main supplier of goods and services ensures that the revenue
from these events feeds directly back to the local economy. Local procurement policies can make this activity a requirement,
not a suggestion.
Underused Economic Development Resources. From an economic development perspective, a community ofen has
underused sites that can serve as source of resiliency and can also aid in recovery. For instance, unused or underused sites, such
as derelict commercial lots or retail space, can be used for community gardens or pop-up stores and restaurants to bring the
community together and potentially draw tourism to these locations. During recovery from a disaster, these underused spaces
can also be used for temporary housing, providing emergency services, or as part of rebuilding. A recent example of this was
seen in the City of Sacramento, where the state fairgrounds were used as a COVID-19 testing site.
Economic Development Takeaway
Uunused or underused sites, such as derelict commercial lots or retail space,
can be used for community gardens or pop-up stores and restaurants to bring
the community together and potentially draw tourism to these locations.
Identifying Geographic Vulnerabilities
Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). Each community should conduct a THIRA to identify the
existing geographic hazards. As outlined by FEMA,88 the THIRA is a three-step risk assessment process that helps communities
understand their risks and what they need to do to address those risks by answering the following questions:
• What threats and hazards can afect our community?
• If they occurred, what impacts would those threats and hazards have on our community?
• Based on those impacts, what capabilities should our community have?
This assessment also factors in unique risks posed by the community’s geography, such as seasonal anomalies like the Santa
Ana winds and their impacts on California’s wildfire season, sea-level rise in coastal communities, or potential volcanic impacts
from the Cascade mountain range in the Pacific Northwest. A community can also use this process to identify potential
evacuation and communication concerns if roadways or cell phone towers are impacted by a disaster.
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https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/risk-capability-assessment
CALED | Economic Development Recovery and Resilience Playbook
