Athens-Clarke County Climate Resilience Program

The Athens Community Climate Resilience Project Through Technology and Transportation Innovation was a community-based climate resilience intervention study that leveraged transportation and communications technologies to help prevent community harm caused by extreme weather events. The project was a collaboration between Athens-Clarke County local government and researchers from the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, and Augusta University to reimagine how neighborhood-scale disaster prevention strategies could improve quality of life in a community experiencing rapid economic development and population growth.

“Athens-Clarke County is dedicated to building a culture of readiness and resiliency for all of our residents. Through this partnership, I believe we will make Athens-Clarke County a safer, strong and adaptable place to live. – Mayor Kelly Girtz

The project employed a multi-component needs assessment informed through direct feedback from 16 representative neighborhoods, alongside pilot planning exercises and neighborhood emergency drills that supported a quasi-experimental community trial framework. The intervention integrated technology into disaster preparedness efforts by leveraging existing transportation and communication platforms, including the MyStop transportation application, which was freely accessible through smartphones and internet-assisted devices. These platforms were used to deliver mobile health (mHealth) rapid-response and preparedness information designed to promote safe mobility and emergency awareness during extreme weather events.

A systematic evaluation framework and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis were utilized to identify equitable and community-supported strategies for resource distribution, tailor technological interventions to neighborhood-specific conditions, and institutionalize a community disaster playbook focused on safeguarding public health, safety, and wellbeing through the effective deployment of technological innovation.