100 Resilient Cities and CDM Smith Announce Partnership to Reduce Flood Risk in North American Cities

BOSTON – Last year, weather-related emergency disasters caused in excess of $300 billion in damages, a record high in the United States. As part of a growing trend that warrants special attention toward disaster preparation and response, these events have further demon­strated the need for munic­i­pal­i­ties to develop a proactive and integrated resilience blueprint. As part of its ongoing efforts to develop water infra­struc­ture resilience, CDM Smith is pleased to announce its recent partnership with 100 Resilient Cities - Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation (100RC), a global nonprofit orga­ni­za­tion dedicated to helping cities better prepare for the economic, social, and physical challenges that have increas­ingly become part of 21st century life. CDM Smith will advise 100RC member cities on reducing flood risk, thus making available a critical tool for enhancing the resilience of urban infra­struc­ture. 100RC provides member cities with a network of carefully selected Platform Partners who can provide access to a curated suite of resilience-building tools and services on a pro-bono basis. As one of the orga­ni­za­tion’s Platform Partners, CDM Smith joins a prestigious group committed to helping urban communities prepare for, withstand, and bounce back from the ‘shocks’ (cata­strophic events like hurricanes, fires, and floods) and ‘stresses’ (slow-moving disasters like water shortages and inadequate sanitation systems) that threaten public health, safety, and quality of life. Platform Partners represent a wide array of private sector, public sector, non-govern­men­tal orga­ni­za­tions and academic community leaders. Each is a vital component of 100RC’s efforts, providing cities with the tools they need to increase urban resilience and develop a global marketplace for resilient solutions. 

“CDM Smith strives to insert a resilience lens into every facet of our orga­ni­za­tion, so we are excited to collaborate with 100 Resilient Cities to establish new rela­tion­ships and deepen existing ones with munic­i­pal­i­ties all over the world,” said resilience expert and CDM Smith project manager Lauren Miller. “We look forward to helping member cities build defenses against water-related risks and develop Resilience Strategies that can orient them for years to come.” 

CDM Smith will serve as a consultant to 100RC member cities on strategies for flood risk reduction and oppor­tu­ni­ties to reduce known, flood-related vulner­a­bil­i­ties of existing or planned infra­struc­ture, including green and grey solutions. The partnership will leverage the resources and expertise of both orga­ni­za­tions to ensure that member cities are best equipped to address their long-term resilience goals. Innovative financing strategies and tactics to support infra­struc­ture needs will form an important component of the analysis. 
The firm will leverage its experience with more than 300 communities across the United States–including cities like New York, Philadel­phia, Detroit, New Orleans, Houston; Boulder, Colorado; Jack­sonville, Florida; Salem, Mass­a­chu­setts; and Minot, North Dakota–to augment and upgrade water infra­struc­ture, provide compre­hen­sive water and envi­ron­men­tal solutions, and deliver  short- and long-term guidance to increase infra­struc­ture resilience. 

“In an increas­ingly complex and challenging world, cities need part­ner­ships with companies like CDM Smith to withstand the shocks and stresses of the 21st century,” said Michael Berkowitz, President of 100 Resilient Cities. “CDM Smith is offering a valuable inter­ven­tion to 100RC members, in helping to reduce damage and service disruptions to key infra­struc­ture based on a city’s flood-related threats."

100 Resilient Cities - Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation (100RC) helps cities around the world become more resilient to social, economic, and physical challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. 100RC provides this assistance through: funding for a Chief Resilience Officer in each of our cities who will lead the resilience efforts; resources for drafting a Resilience Strategy; access to private sector, public sector, academic, and NGO resilience tools; and membership in a global network of peer cities to share best practices and challenges. For more information, visit: www.100Re­silientC­i­ties.org.

CDM Smith provides lasting and integrated solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide. As a full-service engineering and construc­tion firm, we deliver exceptional client service, quality results and enduring value across the entire project life cycle.