Turning Disaster Into Opportunity For Flood Resilience
Hoboken – a densely populated city on one square mile of mostly reclaimed marshland along the Hudson River in New Jersey – was unprepared for a 14-foot surge of water from Hurricane Sandy.
Cities Look to Business (Not Washington) to Build Sustainability
When it comes to building cities to withstand the ravages of age, climate change and a rapidly evolving economy, America’s mayors have probably never felt more alone.
Our flood insurance system is broken. Here’s how we fix it.
Katrina. Sandy. Matthew. We tend to remember the big-name storms that take over the news cycle for weeks, offering up poignant images of rescued families.
Legacy infrastructure and the challenge of procuring urban resilience
Poverty is expensive—not just for people, but for places, too. While cash-strapped cities face a number of challenges, aging infrastructure is perhaps the costliest.
Why procurement matters & What cities can do about it
It’s Infrastructure Week, and everyone is saying that it’s #timetobuild. We agree! The next 5-10 years offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity for hundreds of US cities to upgrade to the smarter, cleaner and greener systems their citizens want and expect.
‘Resilience bonds’: A secret weapon against catastrophe
In a conference room overlooking downtown Miami, British executives are talking about why they know south Florida’s streets so well. It isn’t because of the sunshine. It’s because of the area’s risk for disasters like hurricanes and flooding.
Field Guide To Cso+: A Strategy For Aligning Priorities & Tactics For Unlocking Resources
The Field Guide to CSO+ as a resource for use in any CSO community to empower decision makers charged with addressing CSOs alongside other priorities. It was created by re:focus partners and SCAPE as part of the BIG Initiative. The Field Guide includes a discussion aid that city and utility staff can use to strategize [...]
Paying for Damages—Sometimes Before They Happen
The first three months of the year are usually easy on insurance companies—and the rest of us—simply because it’s not hurricane season, when claims for property and vehicle damage are typically much higher. Not this year, though. US insurers are reporting that extreme and more frequent weather events have made 2017 the most expensive first [...]
Rewarding Resilience
A new bond framework can provide dividends for completing infrastructure projects that boost resilience.
An Open Letter to Infrastructure Funders and Investors
The US is in desperate need of new infrastructure investment. Cities across the country are dealing with aging and failing systems, and there is a huge opportunity to leapfrog to new technologies — with more distributed, resilient, and green infrastructure projects. Making this leap successfully depends on thousands of small and medium-sized communities like Flint, MI and [...]