Investing and Leveraging Resources to Make Your Community More Financially Strong and Environmentally Resilient

Most cities say they want to be fiscally solvent, environmentally resilient, and inclusive, yet daily decisions rarely align with these outcomes. Development and infrastructure decisions often prioritize growth and short-term needs without fully considering long-term costs and impacts. As a result, we're left with growing infrastructure funding and affordability gaps, increasing extreme weather events (and the damages as a result), and disconnected residents. To put communities back on a sustainable path, local leaders must think differently about how to build and rebuild neighborhoods and infrastructure, and not waste valuable resources rebuilding the same pattern that created these challenges. The ongoing rollout of ARPA and other federal funding programs offer a great opportunity to invest funds in projects that close resource gaps, improve environmental resilience, and create more inclusive and affordable neighborhoods. Join this session to learn about tools, strategies, and examples of how to align and leverage resources with your community's desired outcomes so that your city can be vibrant and resilient for years to come.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn from, and replicate, real-world climate change strategies that improve infrastructure

• Leverage federal funding and tools to achieve local infrastructure resilience

• Apply proven strategies that can ensure long-term infrastructure savings

Presenters: Alisha Reis (moderator), Kevin Shepherd, Andrew Kleine, Brian Staley

Download Presentation (when available): LINK

Event Link: https://conference.icma.org/