Delivering Resilience

Physical infrastructure assets are the economic and operational backbone of any area, but urban growth and climate change demands strain the capacity of isolated systems. On the organizational side, digital networks must be designed to combat increasingly complex threats and cyber-attacks. Our work at NASA Langley Research Center includes an asset management system that’s optimizing operations and increasing asset life, while enhancing reliability across 270 facilities at the center. From full life-cycle asset planning to design of capital works and digital and physical infrastructure, we create comprehensive, cross-sector integration solutions tailored to city and organizational needs. Restoring critical infrastructure after events that exceed existing thresholds – such as the 2017 earthquake that hit the Philippines, severely damaging the Mahanagdong B 60MW geothermal power plant or flood-damaged US 34 – is another key aspect to resiliency.

As different parts of the world become drier, wetter or hotter, green infrastructure solutions can help improve community resiliency and enhance urban areas today and into the future. Cities facing the acute shocks of heavy rainfall and flooding are seeking holistic and efficient stormwater management solutions that increase a city’s ability to survive, adapt and grow. Simply looking at stormwater infrastructure (e.g., water drainage and conveyance systems) in isolation, however, isn’t enough. And that’s why we help cities develop a more integrated stormwater management approach that ties stormwater infrastructure improvements to other city sectors: transportation, parks and recreation, environment, flood control, etc. We work closely with cities to diagnose their issues and develop an integrated approach that provides point solutions, addresses critical flooding challenges across sectors and integrates green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to reduce and treat stormwater at its source. Take for example how at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, we developed green solutions to address stormwater and improve the quality of the local water environment, or how in Australia we partnered with The Nature Conservancy to design the second phase of the Windara Reef shellfish restoration project, delivering water quality, environmental and social benefits to the region.

We deep dive into climate and population change analysis to inform master planning, urban design and sustainable delivery across digital and physical solutions. Leaders in both business and communities are seeking new technology-related solutions and approaches to bolster their resilience against anomalies from weather and other events. We partner with these leaders and technology players to deliver smart, connected solutions that strengthen organizations’ ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to and recover from major stresses and shocks. Currently, we’re serving as the U.K. Government’s Delivery Partner for design and development of tidal flood protection for London, with a major focus on innovation to drive efficient delivery and system reliability.

In response to a rapidly growing and mobile population, faced with challenging issues inherent in climate change requiring resilient and reliant systems, and access to social networks and large data processing, networks are continually challenged to provide efficient, affordable and sustainable solutions for the movement of people, goods and services. We help client assess their performance and plan their future, align their capabilities, processes and stakeholder relationships to attain their goals and fulfill their mission. We help organizations define efficient program options, find innovative ways to deliver and finance their programs and identify affordable, sustainable rate and fee programs that customers support. Working closely with our clients, our team provides innovative solutions that yield economic, operational and environmental benefits when implemented.

Cities, governments, companies and organizations across the globe are continually faced with planning for future change. Our team specializes in the upfront thinking that provides strategic solutions for future outcomes that help our clients achieve their organizational goals and objectives. Our planners apply a systems-based approach that integrates complex natural and man-made systems to achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability. We provide a framework that examines overlapping, interdependent systems influencing the triple bottom line of a project, organization or community.

Confronting the growing financial challenge of replacing and rehabilitating aging infrastructure, or delivering new systems, our team plays a key role in working with governments and the private sector to develop alternative financing strategies, including public-private partnership delivery. By developing robust business cases based upon real world applications and assessing pragmatic risk transfer strategies, we help our clients secure private involvement in the financing and delivery of innovative multi-billion-dollar civil and social infrastructure projects.