As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt nearly every aspect of social, economic, and political life, building community partnerships will be a vital part of getting the economy back on track. In the Buffalo-Niagara region of New York, the Cornell ILR School along with its grassroots partner institutions and collaborative community networks have developed a number of innovative and adaptive responses to COVID-19, from rapid-response mutual aid networks to suspended fare collection for public transit services.
These types of local COVID-19 responses demonstrate the potential and possibilities of a cooperative economy that puts people and planet ahead of profit. Successful place-based solutions can be upscaled and linked into a unified framework for post-pandemic equitable economic recovery.
