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Resilient Retrofitting and Building Decarbonization: Rural Community Engagement in Disaster and Energy Transition Planning

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Abstract

This report presents a comprehensive rural resilience model, the Resilient Retrofits Program (RRP), developed to address the converging challenges of flood risk, energy insecurity, and institutional undercapacity in small villages like the Village of Owego, New York. The report integrates spatial vulnerability analysis, stakeholder power mapping, and regulatory review to propose an implementable and equity-centered retrofit delivery framework. The RRP couples technical interventions, such as sump pump installation, heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC) elevation, and heat pump electrification, with a 50/50 loan–grant financing structure and tailored outreach strategies. Central to the model is a high-touch community engagement plan leveraging climate navigators, Village Board of Trustees leadership, and analog-friendly materials to reach underserved residents in low-connectivity environments. Institutional bottlenecks, including contractor shortages and regulatory compliance through the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), are addressed through funding, pre-reviewed design templates, and early coordination protocols.

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This professional report presents the Resilient Retrofits Program (RRP), a proposed model for building decarbonization and flood mitigation in rural New York. Centered on the Village of Owego, the report integrates climate adaptation, energy upgrades, participatory planning, and financial access. It offers a replicable, equity-driven framework for rural resilience grounded in community engagement, SHPO coordination, and adaptive governance.

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2025-05-20

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Cornell University

Keywords

Resilient Retrofitting; Building Decarbonization; Rural Climate Resilience; Community Engagement; Disaster Mitigation Planning; Energy Insecurity; Flood Risk Reduction; Participatory Planning; Resilient Retrofits Program (RRP); Village of Owego

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Government Document

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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report

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