Integrating Hazard Mitigation Strategies into the City of Westport’s Comprehensive Plan Update

Abstract

This thesis is the conclusion of an almost 18-month long process of producing a draft Comprehensive Plan update for the City of Westport, Washington. The key focus of the Comprehensive Plan update was to integrate hazard mitigation and resiliency strategies into the Plan to help plan for a more resilient future for the City. The process of the Comprehensive Plan update included several engagement activities with both the City of Westport staff and the public to assist in developing recommendations for this update. The primary purpose of these engagement activities is to solicit information from the community in an asset-based approach to better understand the assets and values that are of importance to the community and how to protect and enhance these against natural hazards. Although this is an individual thesis project the actual drafting of the Comprehensive Plan update was a collaborative effort between myself and my thesis committee, and was supported by Kevin Goodrich, the Public Works Director for the City of Westport. There has also been significant input from the University of Washington studio team of students and teachers who worked together with the City of Westport and project partners to develop a report with draft recommendations for the Comprehensive Plan update in autumn 2018.