An updated online training is now available to help Rhode Island’s local decision-makers incorporate climate change and coastal resilience into community planning.
Providing Resilience Education for Planning in Rhode Island, or PREP-RI, offers seven learning modules for members of municipal planning boards, zoning boards, and historic district commissions. Originally developed in 2017, the training has been refreshed with information and resources available through 2026
“The PREP-RI training was developed in 2017 as a primer for instilling climate change considerations into planning for the future of Rhode Island communities,” said Casey Tremper, one of the training’s developers. “Continuing with partnerships between the Division of Statewide Planning and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the seven modules have now been updated with knowledge through 2026.”
PREP-RI was developed through a partnership among Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning, and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
The training provides participants with scientific information that can aid their decision-making as they plan for the future of Rhode Island’s communities. Course completion through URI’s Brightspace Engage is required for participating members of planning boards, zoning boards and historic district commissions, but the training is also available to anyone interested in climate resilience and local planning. Members of the public may watch the videos through the Rhode Island Sea Grant website and YouTube channel.
Learn more about PREP-RI
Click the link to watch seven self-guided modules covering liability, flooding, stormwater, climate, infrastructure, adaptation and mapping. You can also download additional resources or access the Brightspace course to complete the training for credit.
– Isabella Carmichael, Rhode Island Sea Grant