How can we help build social capital in neighbourhoods facing barriers, to ensure people can support each other during climate-induced extreme weather events?
Project Description: Hamilton’s Climate Change Impact Adaptation Plan (CCIAP) is an action-oriented plan to minimize climate change impacts on residents and the community. Action 4.3 in the CCIAP is to “Establish buddy systems/help-your-neighbour programs to implement during extreme weather events.”
The focus of this project is to undertake research, including a municipal scan of efforts to identify best practices and key considerations for the development and implementation of ‘help-your-neighbour’ programs. More specifically, the City is interested in understanding best practices when these programs focus on neighbourhoods where there are higher concentrations of people and communities facing barriers. This includes the need to identify resources, tools and methods utilized in these programs to support effective neighbourhood networks of caring.
City Staff: Lynda Lukasik, Planning and Economic Development Department
Deliverables: Secondary research, design
Project Start Date/ Availability: Fall 2025
Location: City Wide
City Strategy Priority: Community Engagement and Participation, Healthy and Safe Communities