Resilient Communities Project

About the Partnership

During the 2018–2019 academic year, Scott County partnered with the Resilient Communities Project (RCP) and the University of Minnesota on 14 projects designed to implement the County's recently adopted long-range 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Twenty County staff members participated in the 18-month partnership, working closely with more than 100 graduate, professional, and undergraduate students across 18 courses representing 13 academic departments at the University of Minnesota and St. Catherine University. 

Planning for Resiliency 

The 2040 Comprehensive Plan includes goals, policies and strategies that are intended to position Scott County to be more resilient in the face of rapid change. Resilient communities have the capacity to respond, adapt, and thrive after unforeseen shocks, changes or stresses to our social, economic, or natural systems. This partnership helped the County advance and implement key “resilience planning” recommendations coming out of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The County and University students and faculty collaborated on more than a dozen multidisciplinary projects such as investigating self-serve libraries, planting edible landscapes, diversifying agricultural production, managing hazardous waste, improving early childhood education, fostering employer-assisted housing, increasing participation in rental-assistance programs, planning for autonomous vehicles, promoting active living, and investigating the cost of services in rural areas.  

Read Our Projects

Visit the Scott-RCP Partnership site to read our projects. All of the research is open-access.