Innovating Climate-Ready Communities: A Technology-Enabled Approach
Tuesday, September 10, 2024: 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Speaker(s)
Description
A rapidly changing climate calls for immediate action for safer, more resilient communities. New technologies offer solutions that match this urgency, but integrating these into government operations poses questions for public works professionals: Which technologies best suit a community's needs? How can upfront costs be balanced with long-term savings? How should communities approach the risk-taking inherent to testing new technologies that may not be fully understood?
The Town of Cary, North Carolina’s climate action strategy Count Me in Cary! harnesses cutting-edge solutions for a more sustainable future. Cary has already laid a foundation for and seen success through powering fleet and maintenance assets through electric and renewable propane (including electric recycling/fire trucks), stormwater flooding sensors, stormwater modeling and floodplain corridor acquisition, satellite leak detection, discrete food waste collection, and autonomous shuttles.
This session highlights Cary’s resilience developments and demonstrates best practices for testing innovative technology to optimize sustainability. Presenters will share Cary’s approach to operationalizing new technologies from concept to implementation. Participants will learn how to implement specific technologies like electric/alternative energy vehicles. The session will wrap with small group discussions to help participants prepare for and overcome specific challenges with technology adoption in their own communities.
Track(s)
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session participants will be better able to:
• Identify and evaluate specific technological innovations that can be used to achieve a more resilient community.
• Determine decision criteria for when to move new technologies out of a “pilot phase” and into standard practice.
• Develop a roadmap to fully operationalize new technologies and prepare for challenges in implementation.