Whether you’re looking to withstand climate disasters or negate a targeted disinformation campaign led by bad actors, resilience should be at the top of the agenda for place teams at every level. But what does that actually look like?

Ahead of August’s CNP Australasia x Mainstreet Australia conference, we asked our expert line-up of place leaders to share what actions place teams should prioritise to build more resilient places – and they came back with advice in spades.

Here are seven different examples of how places are building resilience into their strategies and their communities…

Armidale: Creating opportunities for connection

At the heart of ‘community’ is the understanding that we are better together. And for Armidale Regional Council, creating opportunities that provide residents the chance to celebrate their commonalities and what makes them proud is the key to building a resilient place.

The 2025 Creative Streets Festival was a celebration of the diverse cultures that live, work, and thrive in the region. A ‘Culture Lane’ featured food, artists, and performances from ten different cultures, bringing a sense of shared pride with it. “In times of volatility, events that celebrate our differences and bring vibrancy can lift spirits and bring the community together,” explained Renata Davis, Manager – Regional Activation.

A secondary project encouraged residents to care for their local parks and gardens during the 2019 drought. Community members were invited to ‘adopt’ local trees and gardens by committing to regularly hand-watering their tree or garden so it could thrive. The initiative was a visible celebration of the community’s shared sense of environmental stewardship whilst empowering residents to become more active in the care and preservation of their home.

Renata’s advice: “Invest in the things that create community cohesiveness and that, in times of crisis, can bring people together and provide a sense of hope.”

Philadelphia: Philly Pride Visitor Centre

Neil Frauenglass, CMO at Visit Philadelphia, highlighted that one of the most important actions that a city can take is to invest in projects that are as meaningful and valuable to its residents as they are for its visitors. For Philadelphia, which has a strong LGBTQ+ history, they found this intersection with the creation of the recently opened Philly Pride Visitor Centre.

The Philly Pride Visitor Centre belongs to both residents and visitors, serving as both a celebration of and an introduction to Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community. As Neil explained, “By definition, it’s a visitor centre, designed to help travellers explore Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ history and community. But the response from locals has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents are proud that the space exists [and] that visitors now have a place to begin their journey to understand that part of the city’s identity.”

Neil’s advice: “When you find that sweet spot, where something created for visitors also strengthens pride among residents, that’s when you start building a place that’s truly resilient.”

Launceston: Placemaking activations that build community

For Launceston, resilience sits at the intersection between infrastructure and identity – of taking your values and your story and bringing them to life by using your place as the canvas. From a public mural programme to community events to central business district (CBD) activations, Launceston’s approach is about more than just aesthetics or entertainment. As Mayor Matthew Garwood told us, initiatives like these “help people reconnect with their city and with each other. They create safer, more vibrant public spaces, encourage economic activity, and strengthen local pride and belonging.”

One great example of this philosophy in action is the creation of The Lounge by Launceston Central. For seven weeks over the winter season, an empty CBD shopfront was transformed into a dynamic community hub, complete with beanbags, artwork, musical instruments, board games, and more. Over 9000 people visited The Lounge during its tenure, providing a much-loved community space that offered a new way for residents to connect with their hometown.

The Mayor’s advice: “Too often organisations can jump straight to polished plans and glossy strategies, but people connect with authenticity, inclusion, and outcomes they can actually see and feel in their everyday lives. When communities feel heard, they’re far more likely to support and help shape the future of a place.”

Ipswich: Façade Improvement Programme

Mayor Teresa Harding from the City of Ipswich also highlighted the importance of placemaking in nurturing a resilient community.

The Façade Improvement Programme is an initiative driven by Ipswich Central to work with businesses to revitalise the look and feel of heritage buildings. The renovation work is revitalising Ipswich’s main streets, but it’s far more than just a fresh coat of paint: it’s having a tangible impact on the pride residents have for their home.

“The programme reinforced what makes Ipswich unique, which is our heritage, instead of trying to modernise or sanitise it,” Mayor Harding explained. “Streets felt more cared for, more inviting, and more cohesive, which encourages people to linger, explore, and spend time.”

The Mayor’s advice: “Focus on the experiences people have every day, because that’s what creates loyalty and long-term pride. Resilience comes from people choosing your place again and again, and that choice is driven by experience.”

Christchurch: Investing in place-led sectoral growth

Christchurch’s approach to building a resilient community elevates what is genuinely distinctive about the city. As Ali Adams, CEO at ChristchurchNZ, explained, “that means focusing on growth sectors that are ‘sticky’ – industries that already have momentum here because they are anchored in our unique strengths and capabilities.”

Ali cited that the team use three criteria to identify which growth sectors they should prioritise:

• What can Christchurch uniquely offer?
• Is the industry large and scalable enough to justify the investment of time and resources?
• Is there already private sector momentum in this space?

Ali went on to reference two examples where those conditions aligned in Christchurch: health tech and aerospace. In the first instance, by investing in the development of a purpose-built health precinct that was close to both the hospital and the airport, the team were able to attract a world leading immunotherapy organisation. In the second, bringing together a cross-agency group spanning private sector, government, the airport, and universities led to the creation of an aerospace strategy that takes advantage of Christchurch’s agile regulatory framework and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

“You need something niche enough that you can be a serious global player, but big enough to be worth chasing,” Ali explained. “In aerospace, for example, we’re not competing with Seattle or Hamburg as a base for Boeing or Airbus. But we can compete as a place to test and trial, to research and develop ideas quickly.”

Ali’s advice: “The key is identifying your sweet spot and committing to it. That’s what builds depth, durability, and resilience, rather than chasing trends that are transient or easily disrupted.”

Dunedin: Good Food Dunedin

For Enterprise Dunedin, resiliency is about the ability to adapt and grow in the face of new challenges and opportunities – as is evident in their emerging food resilience work, ‘Good Food Dunedin.’

By bringing together producers, hospitality, markets, tourism, events, community organisations, and local government, the programme is facilitating conversations about how a strong, local food ecosystem can support Dunedin’s long-term resilience and identity.

“What makes this work exciting is its potential to deliver across multiple areas at once,” highlighted Director Sian Sutton, “supporting local businesses and supply chains, creating more distinctive visitor experiences, encouraging year-round city activity, and strengthening community connection.”

Although the work is still in progress, the ambition recognises the important role food plays for both residents and the city as a whole.

Sian’s advice: “At Enterprise Dunedin, we see resilience as creating a city that can adapt, grow, and continue to be a great place to live, work, visit, and invest in. That means prioritising work that strengthens both the economy and the community at the same time.”

Michigan: Building credibility that survives digital shifts

Matthew Kruchko, Head of Global Operations at Gravity Global, gave us one final example of resiliency in action: the ability to create alignment between your narrative, the stakeholders who amplify your story, and the on-the-ground experience of those who visit, work, or live in your place.

He cited their past work with Michigan Economic Development Corporation as one example of how this can be achieved. “Rather than focusing only on campaign visibility, the work centred on aligning Michigan’s economic development narrative across stakeholders, talent attraction, business growth, and community identity under a clear and consistent platform: “You Can in Michigan.””

The shared narrative – amplified by stakeholders – both reinforces this messaging and anchors it in the lived experience. This in turn strengthened credibility far beyond paid media alone and started the ball rolling to ultimately gain third-party endorsements through national media and stakeholder advocacy.

Matthew’s advice: “A resilient place is one whose credibility can survive changes in platforms, algorithms, and audience behaviours because trust in the place is consistently reinforced across the ecosystem. That requires stakeholders, institutions, employers, tourism partners, universities, and community leaders to reinforce the same story through real actions and experiences, not just marketing.”

ChristchurchNZ’s Ali Adams, Armidale Regional Council’s Renata Davis, Visit Philadelphia’s Neil Frauenglass, Launceston’s Mayor Matthew Garwood, Ipswich’s Mayor Teresa Harding, Gravity Global’s Matthew Kruchko, and Enterprise Dunedin’s Sian Sutton will all be taking to the stage at CNP Australasia x Mainstreet Australia. Join us in the Gold Coast this August 6-7^th to discover actionable ideas to support your own place economy and nurture more resilient communities. Book your place today!