For those who care about sustainability and equity, 2022 brought plenty of good news.

The Biden Administration made good on its promise of the Justice40 initiative, which targeted 40% of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), funding is flowing to climate change mitigation and resilience in hard-hit communities.

Now that more funding is available, it’s important to make sure it is spent wisely and goes where it’s needed most.

The Island Press Urban Resilience Project has released a new e-book Resilience Matters: Collective Action for Healthier Communities. This compilation of articles, op-eds and interviews is supplemented by concrete plans to build a greener, fairer future.

Written by climate scientists, public health advocates, urban planners, spatial justice activists, community organizers, academics, elected officials and other thought leaders, Resilience Matters addresses the economic, environmental and social dimensions of resilience. The publication was edited by Laurie Mazur, editor of the Island Press Urban Resilience Project, and supported through grant funding from Kresge’s Environment Program.

The articles were originally published in outlets like The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Next City, and The Hill. The e-book is now available at no cost through Island Press.

In Resilience Matter, readers will find plans to help marginalized communities access federal funds, extend flood insurance to low-income families, fund efficiency upgrades to old buildings, design healthful, climate-resilient schoolyards, and more.

Organizations contributing to Resilience Matters include Openlands, Medical Society Consortium, Fair Share Housing, Health Care Without Harm, Herbicide-Free Campus, Environmental Policy Innovation Center, Center for Good Food Purchasing, Healthy Schools Campaign, Main Street America, Trust for Public Land, Smart Growth America, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Society of Adaptation Professionals, Environmental Defense Fund, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations, Environmental Health Coalition, Youth Climate Action Team Inc., Groundswell, Network of Network Group, Environmental Grantmakers Association, Abilities Dance, Public Citizen, America’s Essential Hospitals, Equiticity, Environmental Protection Network, Clean Energy Group, Studio for Urban Projects, Multisolving Institute, and Mississippi Communities United for Prosperity.

As a longtime grantee partner of Kresge, Island Press works to stimulate, shape, and communicate information that is essential for solving environmental problems. In 2015, Island Press launched the Urban Resilience Project (URP) with support from Kresge and The JPB Foundation.

The project brings together thought leaders from a broad range of expertise to generate and cross-pollinate ideas on urban resilience in the era of climate change. These ideas are then shared in a variety of media — books, articles, op-eds, webinars, and educational coursework.

In 2023, books published by Island Press will showcase how cities can thrive as their populations decline, reveal the racist truth about urban highways, and more.

To learn more, visit www.islandpress.org/URP and download the e-book here.