Infrastructure
Table of Contents
Introduction
Flood Prevention
Sponge Cities
Ideally all cities would be built with flooding prevention in mind, however climate change has drastically increased the amount of water falling over what the original designers and builders dealt with in the past. Since cities are rarely built from scratch, this means retrofitting existing cities by taking up concrete spaces and replacing them with impermeable surfaces with permeable ones. Neighborhoods that continuously flood, for example homes built in the middle of flood plains, can be torn down and preplaced with community parks which serve not only as emergency drainage, but important biodiversity hotspots.
Benefits of Sponge Infrastructure
Reduced Flooding
More Biodiversity
Cleaner Air
Cleaner Drinking Water
Improved Mental Health
Reduced Heat Island Effect
How China is Designing Flood-Resistant Cities
6:49 video demonstrates Chinese solutions to serious flooding caused by climate change, the historical examples these solutions were drawn from, and how other cities in the USA are doing similar things with their limited space.
Sponge City Features
Greenways
These can function as parks and nature trails, providing comfortable, low-stress transit routes for both humans and wildlife.
Roofs
Green Roofs which absorb water into soil to grow plants. These spaces can also function a gardens and community spaces.
Blue Roofs which can capture water for future use. Some famous airports use this method to flush their toilets.
Slanted Roofs to guide water into flower beds or ditches which can help drain away the water.
Swales
These can help guide water away from roads and into parks or gardens which can use the water while the surplus soaks into the ground for future storage.
Energy
Climate-Resilient Power
One argument against green energy has been that it is "less reliable" during weather extremes, but as Texans found out during the historic 2012 freeze, their supposedly "more reliable" gas infrastructure literally froze, leaving around 4.5 million people without heat or power for several days. Between 246 and 702 people are thought to have died during this time due to this critical power loss. More died shortly after during record-breaking heatwaves a few summers later when the electric grid broke down under the demand of billions of residents struggling to stay cool.
"Babcock Ranch calls itself “America’s first solar-powered town.” Its nearby solar array — made up of 700,000 individual panels — generates more electricity than the 2,000-home neighborhood uses, in a state where most electricity is generated by burning natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel.
The streets in this meticulously planned neighborhood were designed to flood so houses don’t. Native landscaping along roads helps control storm water. Power and internet lines are buried to avoid wind damage. This is all in addition to being built to Florida’s robust building codes.
Some residents, like Grande, installed more solar panels on their roofs and added battery systems as an extra layer of protection from power outages. Many drive electric vehicles, taking full advantage of solar energy in the Sunshine State.
Climate resiliency was built into the fabric of the town with stronger storms in mind.
So when Hurricane Ian came barreling toward southwest Florida this week, it was a true test for the community. The storm obliterated the nearby Fort Myers and Naples areas with record-breaking surge and winds over 100 mph. It knocked out power to more than 2.6 million customers in the state, including 90% of Charlotte County.
But the lights stayed on in Babcock Ranch." - CNN: This 100% Solar Community Endured Hurricane Ian with No Loss of Power and Minimal Damage
District Heating
"District heating (also known as heat networks or teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. The heat is often obtained from a cogeneration plant burning fossil fuels or biomass, but heat-only boiler stations, geothermal heating, heat pumps and central solar heating are also used, as well as heat waste from factories and nuclear power electricity generation. District heating plants can provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control than localized boilers. According to some research, district heating with combined heat and power (CHPDH) is the cheapest method of cutting carbon emissions, and has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all fossil generation plants.[1]
District heating is ranked number 27 in Project Drawdown's 100 solutions to global warming.[2][3]" - Wikipedia: District Heating
Safety
Buried Power Lines
Burying power lines and other related infrastructure can help prevent electrocution of people, pets, and wildlife.Â
This precaution can also help prevent deadly fires, and help ensure that power keeps flowing even during major storms and freezes.
Gas Leaks
The fossil fuel industry's aging infrastructure is increasingly leaking methane, VOCs, and other harmful gases into the atmosphere, however during major freezes, these gases are also released simply to prevent explosions as the infrastructure freezes up.Â
For example in the historic freeze of 2021 "hundreds of reported releases of air pollutants and carcinogens in Texas during the freeze. In the two hours it took to stop the venting, that one valve released over 60,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the company told regulators — about the same amount of hazardous air pollution that, on average, each of the five largest Gulf Coast refineries also reported releasing during the freeze.
While millions of Texans struggled with no power and no heat, the gas systems around them were spewing out often-invisible pollutants, in some cases because they’re designed to vent off gases when systems freeze up to prevent explosions or equipment damage." - DeSmog: Texas Catastrophe Natural Gas Fail Freeze Offs
Should The U.S. Bury Its Power Lines?
10:23 minute video discusses the safety benefits vs cost of burying power lines underground.
Sustainable Energy
Click the Energy button to learn about different types of energy production listed by efficiency and safety. A the bottom of that page we also have info about various storage solutions.
Transit
Human-centric transit infrastructure focuses on slowing motorized traffic and creating safe places for cyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with push-chairs, and everyone else who wants to move around freely.Â
Promoting active transport such as walking and cycling, promotes better health (lower healthcare costs for the community as a whole), cleaner air, less noise pollution, better financial stability, and more connected, safer communities.Â
Organizations
International
Global Ecovillage Network An umbrella organization for sustainable communities, initiatives and ecologically-minded individuals worldwide.
International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) was founded in 1985 by the late Dr. Henry L. Lennard, a Viennese medical sociologist, and the late Dr Suzanne C. Lennard, an English architectural scholar. The Lennards were passionate about sharing the best evidence-based lessons of great cities and towns to improve the quality of life for all. To do it, they brought together many of the world’s most innovative and successful mayors, planners, economic development specialists, designers, developers, NGO officials, and researchers and scholars.
The mission of the IMCL has always been to raise awareness, through conferences and publications, of the effects of urban planning on livability, health and social well-being. Conferences have been held annually in the United States and Europe. They are unique in enabling city officials, architects, planners, developers, community leaders, behavioral and public health scientists, artists and others responsible for the livability of their cities to exchange experiences, ideas and expertise. The varied perspectives provide deeper understanding of the issues and generate creative solutions."TUMI "supports transport projects all around the world and enables policy makers to transform urban mobility. TUMI is based on three pilars: innovation, knowledge, investment. We support innovative pilot projects around the whole world. We share knowledge with planners about modern mobility concepts, in workshops and conferences. We invest in construction and modernisation of sustainable urban infrastructure."
Asia
The Asia Society Policy Institute "works with policymakers, scientists, economists, business leaders, and experts from other fields to enhance the regional and global fight against climate change through accelerating the transition to net zero emissions, carbon pricing, clean energy and climate diplomacy."
Livable Cities "... has three operational approaches or pillars: Improve coverage, quality efficiency, and reliability of services in urban areas; strengthen urban planning and financial sustainability of cities; and improve urban environment, climate resilience and disaster management of cities.
With 65% of people in Asia and the Pacific set to live in cities by 2050, we have gathered stories and lessons that will ensure cities in Asia and the Pacific are inclusive, competitive, environmentally sustainable, and resilient."
North America
Congress for the New Urbanism The organizational center for the New Urbanist movement, promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.
Canada
Congress for the New Urbanism The organizational center for the New Urbanist movement, promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.
USA
The Clean Energy States Alliance "is a national, nonprofit coalition of public agencies and organizations working together to advance clean energy.
CESA works with state leaders, federal agencies, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to develop clean energy programs and inclusive renewable energy markets. CESA members—mostly state agencies—include many of the most innovative, successful, and influential public funders of clean energy initiatives in the country."The Cohousing Association of the United States An active organization that promotes cohousing in America through conferences, workshops, tours, database directory, networking and more.
Congress for the New Urbanism The organizational center for the New Urbanist movement, promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.
The East Coast Greenway "connects 15 states and 450 cities and towns for 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. We are fostering a safe walking and biking route through the country’s most populated corridor."
National Complete Streets Coalition News of complete streets activities from around the country and proposed federal legislation plus resources including fact sheets and a PowerPoint presentation.
Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. Communities are recognized for working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort.
California
Civic Well "supports leaders responding to the climate crisis and its impact on their communities. As a nonprofit organization, we inspire, equip, connect, and cultivate leaders working toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
We know that innovation happens when communities name their own challenges and define their own visions. Through policy guidance, collaborative partnerships, and direct assistance, we support and equip communities to bring those visions to life."
Maps
North America
USA
Stormwater Management and Restoration Tracking (SMART) Tool (Interactive) Tool tracks storm water management practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed which spans, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
Grants & Funding
Asia
Livable Cities: Financing Partnership Facility "The urban operations of ADB benefits from the support of notable trust funds, which are collectively referred to as the Urban Financing Partnership Facility. Under this umbrella, strategic, long-term, multi-partner investments on innovative urban solutions are implemented. These investments help to achieve the vision of livable cities." These include:
Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) eligible countries include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and Vietnam.
North America
USA
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program "provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants."
Power Forward Communities "is a coalition of some of the country’s most trusted housing, climate, and community investment groups dedicated to decarbonizing and transforming American housing. We’re saving homeowners and renters money, reinvesting in communities, and tackling the climate crisis."
Self-Help Credit Union "Our mission is creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities.
Self-Help Credit Union has branches in NC, SC, FL and VA, and we offer remote services like online and mobile banking to make joining us easy no matter where you live." "We're poised to use a major funding award from the EPA to help create a clean energy future for all."
Connecticut
The Connecticut Green Bank "is the nation’s first green bank"
Minnesota
Stewardship Fund Grants "support public efforts to manage stormwater, control pollution, and improve water quality and habitat."
Oceana
Australia
Western Australia
The Sustainability Grants Program (in the City of Cockburn) "offers funding for projects related to six sustainability themes. Open to small businesses, schools, not-for-profits, and collective households, successful applicants can receive up to $4,000 for their project."