Assessing Resilience in Buffalo, New

York 

A Vignette in Resilience

Is Buffalo Resilient? 

Resilience = the ability to

anticipate, prepare for, respond to and recover from a shock

or stress

Performance, e.g., of the economy, infrastructure, civic engagement, environment

Resilience

Non-resilience

Time

Shock, Stress

A Resilience Model

Methods: Linking Assets to Success and Resilience Resilience =

f (assets and endowments

Natural features, human capital, industry mix, political structure, social capital, legal context, demographics…

Actors, policies, institutions, culture

+ response)

Actors

business universities

laborelected

officials

cdcs

ethnic/ racial groupsfaith-based orgs.

Institutionsfiscal rules/tax systems

state law & relations

federal

law &

relations

local

political

norms

Policiessocial policy

workforce development

transporta

tion

policy

land use

regulation

sCulture

regional

identity

values, norms

priorities

history/ stories

Response Elaborated

So, I repeat, is Buffalo

resilient? 

(A delay tactic….) Of which system, over what time, to

which challenge?

Resilience = the ability to

anticipate, prepare for,

respond to and recover from

a shock or stress

A reminder…

preparation

phase

performance phase

Performance: population change, job change, income change, poverty change

Chronic Shocks, Stresses

Buffalo Metro Economic Resilience

“Performance Phase,” 1970-2000

1970

1980

1990

2000

Manufacturing peers (n=14)

Rustbelt peers (n=17)

New York peers (n=9 or 10)

Buffalo Metro Economic Resilience

“Preparation Phase,” 1970-2000

Weak

Strong

Performance

Weak Strong

Preparation

Not resilient, Neglectful

Resilient, by

intention

Resilient, but

Ephemeral

Not resilient, but Nice

Try

Is Buffalo Resilient? Finally, An Answer

Three Conclusions2. Resilience

research is full of challenges: conceptual, methodological, analytical

3. Resilience research is full of promise: links assets, interventions and outcomes, many under local control

Assessing Resilience in Buffalo, New

York