Elevate AVL Last updated or reviewed on October 21, 2026 The Elevate AVL project seeks to learn from Asheville communities to inform neighborhood-led and city-supported initiatives to develop shared resources and ideas to thrive in a changing climate. In Phase 1 of the project (2024), community leaders participated on an advisory committee and as neighborhood engagement agents to inform the content and purpose of the Elevate AVL project and to support the development of a Climate Action Toolkit. The final toolkit resources were refined and updated following Tropical Storm Helene and published in the spring of 2025. Toolkit contents are available on the website, as downloadable PDFs in English, Spanish, or as a hardcopy at the following locations. These resources are designed to spark climate conversations between Asheville residents, build neighborhood resilience, and activate personal and community climate action. During Phase 2 of the project (2025), in addition to supporting the distribution of toolkits in neighborhoods throughout the city, program participants individually designed and implemented community impact projects. The projects focused on mental health resources, climate literacy, household water system innovation, climate art, and community emergency preparedness. Read this blog post for more information about the innovative work and impactful leaders at the heart of the movement to support community-led resilience building across neighborhoods, sectors, and communities. Phase 3 of this project (late 2025 and early 2026) included an “Explore Resilience Hubs” Organizational Work Plan (OWP) project that connected relevant internal and external projects to develop shared language, recommended policy frameworks, and a clearer definition of the City’s role in the development and maintenance of a connected, community-led Resilience Hub Network. The OWP contained multiple projects: Community Space Upfit, Community Engagement Academy, Resilient Power Systems development at critical facilities, and Resilience Hub Mapping. The Resilience Hub mapping project final report, available at publicinput.com/resilienceAVL, shares key findings and recommendations, including both “overall” and city-led actions, providing many opportunities to improve daily connections and to prepare for the next disaster. An interactive GIS map displays data collected through surveys, key informant interviews, and participatory mapping exercises. The report acknowledges the incredible work of the existing community of volunteers and organizations, finding that the network is real but fragile, and that many groups pitched in to reach more people and places. The next phase of the project will update the Resilience Hub Organizational Work Plan to focus on investment in community hubs via federal Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. More information about Community Hubs can be found on this webpage. Actions Taken Declared a Climate Emergency through Resolution 20-25 Established the Climate Resilience Initiative to develop resources like the Community Climate Vulnerability Map and Climate Relevant Scoring Rubric to embed climate resilience considerations in City planning and implementation. Established community Advisory Committee and Engagement Agent pilot program to reconnect with community members and inform Climate Action Toolkit and resource development Published Climate Action Toolkit and resource webpages Completed Engagement Agent community projects program Produced Stronger Together: Stories from AVL’s Neighborhoods post-Helene case study videos (YouTube playlist) Completed Resilience Hub Mapping Project and Summary Video Revised Community Climate Vulnerability Map to streamline future data updates Supporting Documents Blog post – Elevate AVL Engagement Agents implement community impact projects Blog post – City of Asheville working towards a proactive plan in the face of climate change Final Assessment Report – April 2018 Resolution 20-25 Climate Emergency Declaration Community Climate Vulnerability Map to understand and visualize ‘hot spots’ and intersecting stressors Climate Action Toolkit
