Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series
#09 – Resilient Infrastructure
Resilient infrastructure is an economic opportunity. The ninth Cities on the Frontline webinar dives into how cities, states and private actors can work together to achieve climate-ready and resilient infrastructure.
The session begins with Henri Blas, Chief Content Officer of the Global Infrastructure Hub, who provides valuable insight into the current financial trends across the world in resilient infrastructure. While infrastructure projects in energy, water and transportation are sought out by private investors, there is a lack of funding going towards social projects. Blas continues with a discussion on how to best position a project to receive funding from government bodies or the private sector.
He presents various tools provided by the GI Hub that practitioners can use to develop, assess, and deliver their projects. These also provide a framework for how to incorporate principles of inclusivity, circularity, and green infrastructure, among other priorities.
Chief Resilience Officer for Miami-Dade County, James F. Murley, brings forward the perspective of a city implementing resilient infrastructure projects. Miami, like most coastal cities, is incredibly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Murley highlights several initiatives undergoing development to adapt and mitigate these challenges. In Miami, regional cooperation, building partnerships and engaging with various stakeholders has been essential in developing their resilience strategy.
“The beach is our infrastructure.”
He goes on to stress the importance of investing in existing natural assets and nature-based solutions as we develop our cities into the future. The expansion of greenways, blueways do exactly this. Miami-Dade County has also prioritised climate action and protection of the natural environment by securing a Chief Heat Officer and a Chief Bay Officer.
The conversation continues with a dialogue on the nuances of resilience finance and the importance of inclusive and community-based decision making.
Henri Blas
Chief Content Officer, Global Infrastructure Hub
““When it comes to financial markets, climate resilience steals the show as compared to other aspects of holistic resilience.”
“There is an opportunity for infrastructure spending to be transformative – resilience is a critical point.”
Henri Blas‘s presentation
James F. Murley
Chief Resilience Officer, Miami-Dade County
“Our peninsula is surrounded by water, a lot of what we do is dictated by geography. We need to invest in our natural assets like the Everglades, as they are the ones that protect us from extreme climate events.”
“Sea-level rise is a force multiplier – it amplifies all other shocks and stresses.”
