Resilient Jacksonville Plan Earns APA National Honor

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The American Planning Association (APA) announced that the City of Jacksonville received the 2024 National Planning Award for Resilience and Sustainability for its Resilient Jacksonville strategy.

Halff, an award-winning, employee-owned, diverse and full-service infrastructure consulting firm, was a subconsultant in the strategic development of the plan to the Water Institute. Additional subconsultants include SCAPE, Fernleaf and Acuity Design Group, as well as government partners, experts and community members. The result was a strategy informed by diverse perspectives and cutting-edge methods.

A community stakeholder meeting discussing the Resilient Jacksonville plan. 

The plan, launched in October 2023, is a 50-year framework to prepare Jacksonville for climate change, population growth and urban development. The APA recognized the plan for its innovative and comprehensive approach to resilience planning at multiple scales and scenarios.

Jacksonville is the largest city by land by area in the continental United States, has 1,500 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic coast, St. Johns River and its tributaries, and experiences multiple types of flood risk. Resilient Jacksonville combines innovative tools and solutions to confront the region’s unique challenges, including rising sea levels, flooding and climate change impacts.

The strategy includes adaptation approaches and actions that are systemwide, site-specific and people-centric. Recommendations in this strategy are organized into two chapters, the first of which includes 45 resilience actions — implementable policies, projects and programs. The second chapter builds on these actions by tailoring and prioritizing them for different conditions on the ground in Jacksonville neighborhoods.

Halff compiled the City of Jacksonville Stormwater Master Plan and US Army Corps of Engineers data to understand current and future flood exposure throughout the city. Halff and the Resilient Jacksonville Strategy team used these data to engage with stakeholders and the general public in discussions that will help shape Jacksonville’s future.

Each year the APA recognizes a community that has taken exemplary steps to enhance its ability to adapt to shocks and stresses, resulting in it becoming stronger, more equitable and better prepared for the future.

In the year since the strategy’s release, the City of Jacksonville moved swiftly into implementation, with 38 of the 45 actions in the document underway in the first year. The City’s Office of Resilience has published an annual report on the strategy’s implementation and progress, which can be found at resilientjacksonville.com.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned, diverse and full-service infrastructure consulting firm that improves lives and communities by turning ideas into reality. For nearly 75 years, Halff has provided smart solutions for clients throughout the United States. The people-first firm is committed to continuously investing in its employees and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Halff has more than 30 offices in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The firm was recognized as the 2023 Texas & Louisiana Design Firm of the Year by the Engineering News-Record. Halff is ranked No. 87 in the 2024 Top 500 Design Firms rankings by ENR. Halff is the No. 16 Top Workplace nationally in 2024 as ranked by Energage for businesses with 1,000 to 2,499 employees.