Session Details
Resilient Infrastructure in the Age of the Anthropocene
10 November 2020
Mikhail Chester, Arizona State University. Infrastructure and the Anthropocene
Deb Carlson, West Coast Environmental Law. Resilient Infrastructure or resilient communities?
David Bristow, University of Victoria. Addressing Disaster Risk & Recovery in the Anthropocene
Webinar Format
Dialogue Session
Short Presentations, Extended Q & A
About Contributors
Roy Brooke, Executive Director, Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI)
Mikhail Chester, Director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University
Deborah Carlson, Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law for the Green Communities Program
David Bristow, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria
David Bristow is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria where he runs the Cities and Infrastructure Systems Lab (https://oac.uvic.ca/cisl) and where is a member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic, https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/iesvic/index.php). He teaches on infrastructure resilience and sustainability in civil engineering. His research concerns resilience and sustainability of infrastructure, buildings and cities through advancement and integration of theory and practice. He holds Doctorate and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering (Toronto) and a Bachelor’s in Systems Design Engineering (Waterloo). He is a board member of the Sustainable Urban Systems section of ISIE.
Kristy McConnel, Planner, Mott MacDonald
Kristy McConnel is a Planner at Mott MacDonald. She is passionate about building sustainable communities through creativity and innovation and works on a diverse portfolio of international projects in transportation and sustainability and was recently awarded the Planning Institute of BCs award for Individual Achievement – Young Professional Leadership. Kristy holds a Master of Community and Regional Planning degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Conservation from the University of British Columbia, and a certified Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP).
Description
This session will look at infrastructure through the lens of the multiple challenges and opportunities we currently face in an era of unprecedented change: from funding and asset management, governance of centralized grids, multihazard considerations in the Lower Mainland (flood and seismic risk reduction/resilience) and the collaboration and innovation required to foster resilient infrastructure through approaches such as decentralization and shoring up blue-green assets.
This session should appeal to anyone who has an interest in building resilience in Southwest BC: engineers, architects, planners, developers, builders, code officials, financiers, insurers, asset managers, critical infrastructure operators, etc. Those with interest in local economic development and building the green/restoration economy would also benefit from attending and contributing to this session.
Discussion questions
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How should we build, design, manage and govern infrastructure in the age of the anthropocene?
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What are the barriers and opportunities in financing natural assets like blue green infrastructure?
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How can we change the incentives for owners and managers of CI to assess their risks and interdependencies such that they (and we) are managing systemic risks more effectively?
Contributors
With Roy Brooke (Municipal Natural Assets Initiative-MNAI), Mikhail V Chester (School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University), Deb Carlson (West Coast Environmental Law), David Bristow (University of Victoria, Cities and Infrastructure Systems Lab), Moderated by Kristy McConnel (Mott MacDonald & PIBCs 2020 award winner for Young Professional Leadership)