OREANDA-NEWS. CH2M will share insights on green infrastructure strategies to make cities more resilient to environmental threats in a panel presentation at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2016 Convention to be held in Portland, Oregon on September 29 through October 1. CH2M is a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm that is a global leader in sustainable urban infrastructure and sustainable building design.

The presentation titled “Making Cities Resilient through Green Infrastructure” will be made Thursday, September 29 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center. Panelists will include Ozzie Gonzalez, CH2M Sustainability Director; Mark Anderson, CH2M Water Technologist; Cory Rayburn, Environmental Program Manager with the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management; and green roof specialists Columbia Green Technologies.

The session will review the benefits of green infrastructure by exploring what this term encompasses and how it impacts a city’s prosperity, resilience, climate, watershed, and environmental footprint. The panelists will explore design and management principles as well as the role of green infrastructure policies using real world examples from Atlanta, Georgia and Portland.

Attendees of this presentation can expect to realize a number of learning objectives including understanding:

  • What constitutes “green infrastructure” and identifying the key ecosystems services they provide for our cities
  • The types of environmental threats faced by cities and the central role storm water management plays in city resilience
  • The financial implications of improving resilience for cities
  • The role green infrastructure plays in city resilience
  • How cities can incentivize private developments to include green infrastructure
  • Specific green infrastructure strategies used by cities to prepare for and respond to the risks that come with climate change
  • The components of green roof systems, and how to use a hydrograph tool to measure a roof’s monthly rainfall and runoff distribution based on geographic location, rainfall rates, and roof slope.

CH2M has helped numerous great cities across the globe confront such 21st Century challenges such as economic revitalization, redevelopment, reducing traffic congestion, public safety and cyber security. This presentation will draw from experience gained from CH2M’s many projects involving the planning and implementation of urban resiliency, green city, and smart city programs internationally.