One of the difficulties with producing more resilient designs, as I’ve discussed, is the lack of practical information available for designers. The U.S. Department of Energy and Environment for Washington, D.C., just published Resilient Design Guidelines (RDG). This document is intended to help planners, owners, and design professionals increase the resilience of both new and existing buildings. The guidelines are intended primarily for public projects, but many of the recommendations are applicable to private developments as well. Climate change is the focus of the document, with flooding and increased temperatures identified as the hazards that should be addressed, and resilient design is defined as “the intentional design of buildings, landscapes, communities, and regions in response to these vulnerabilities.”
However, the guidelines also only consider the building and site and specifically do not address social aspects, such as planning, emergency services, community resources, etc. The District of Columbia has identified that climate change will generate an increase in frequency and magnitude in certain hazards, predicting “more intense storms, increased precipitation, heat waves, and power outages.”