Resilient by Design: Rethinking Local Infrastructure
| | JOIN CITYTALK LIVE THIS THURSDAY | | | | How Should We Rethink Infrastructure for Long-Term Resilience? Thursday, May 15 | 12 p.m. ET | Live Zoom Webinar | | | | | | From Challenge to Climate Solution Canadian communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and other environmental challenges. Smaller cities and communities in particular often lack the resources and expertise to embed climate resilience into their infrastructure plans. Join us for CityTalk Live to explore how the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS) is helping communities across Canada tackle climate change head-on through more resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Led by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, CRIS provides free expert support to local governments and Indigenous communities to integrate low-carbon, climate-ready solutions into housing and infrastructure projects. We’ll unveil the first impact stories—featuring a spotlight on one of CRIS’s inaugural projects—and hear insights from leaders in climate equity, sustainable engineering, and municipal planning as they discuss what it takes to build infrastructure that can meet the challenges of today - and tomorrow. Whether you're a municipal leader, sustainability professional, or community advocate, this is your chance to hear directly from the people driving place-based climate solutions.
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| | Climate Co-Lead | Climate Ready Infrastructure Service Jeb Brugmann is a global leader in urban resilience with over 40 years of experience working with local governments and the corporate sector in 46 countries. He currently serves as Climate Co-Lead for the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada/Canadian Urban Institute Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS) and leads the economic resilience and climate adaptation practice at Resilient Cities Catalyst. Previously, Jeb was Vice President of Solutions Development for the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative, where he managed over 115 partnerships delivering $200 million in pro bono services to cities worldwide. He led the development of the Reimagina Puerto Rico resilience strategy after Hurricane Maria and supported the City of Cape Town during its 2018 water crisis. He also served as a senior advisor to New York City’s Office of Emergency Management during COVID-19 recovery planning. In 1989-1990 he founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the international municipal association with more than 2,000 members, serving as Secretary General from 1991-2000. In that capacity he established ICLEI’s global Cities for Climate Protection campaign as well as the worldwide, UN-sponsored ‘Local Agenda 21” sustainability planning initiative. From 2001 to 2003, he directed an ADB/USAID capacity-building program for senior city leaders from over 100 Asia-Pacific cities, supporting municipalities in developing regional markets for green energy, sustainable building, and circular economy enterprises. Jeb is also a Senior Associate with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and author of Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World.
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| | President & CEO | Tamarack Institute Danya is a mother, daughter, wife, sister, neighbour, community-builder, and runner – identities that have shaped her passion for belonging and financial inclusion in community. Her career has also included refugee resettlement and criminal justice reform. She spent a decade with the Promise Partnership of Salt Lake, co-designing school, neighbourhood, city, and regional partnerships advancing work on financial inclusion. From 2022 to 2024, she served as Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute, an inaugural Schwab Foundation Collective Social Innovation Awardee, before being appointed President & CEO in December 2024. Danya is a published author whose work has appeared in the National Observer, Social Innovation Journal, and the World Economic Forum. She is also a lifelong learner and holds an MBA; an MA in Psychology; and certifications in Systems Change, AI Stewardship, and Centering Equity in Climate Action.
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| | Team Lead - Climate Risk, Resilience, and Sustainability| Lexy Relph has over 25 years of experience in climate risk and resilience assessments, strategic climate action plans, sustainable building and infrastructure engineering, and feasibility studies across Canada and the United States. Lexy is a team lead with Stantec’s Climate Risk, Resilience, and Sustainability team, where she brings experience from both the public and private sectors in buildings engineering, sustainability consulting, and climate change response to a wide range of projects. She has developed climate change strategies, action plans, and tools for clients at local and provincial scales, understanding that clear communication and collaboration are key to successful climate solutions. Lexy recently completed a CUI-funded climate risk review of the North Salt Spring Waterworks District's distribution system to identify and communicate vulnerabilities of the municipal water distribution systems on the Island. |
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| | Manager of Municipal Projects| Village of Cumberland Jason Wallace is the Manager of Municipal Projects for the Village of Cumberland, where he contributes to shaping a vibrant and resilient community. With a strong commitment to sustainability and long-term planning, his work focuses on developing infrastructure and initiatives that serve both current and future generations while preserving the unique character and natural beauty of Cumberland. Bringing a blend of technical expertise and deep personal investment in the community, he emphasizes thoughtful planning, environmental stewardship, and active public engagement as essential pillars of strong communities. Outside of his professional role, he’s a dedicated parent of three and an active member of the local community. Whether hiking local trails, mountain biking through the forest, or enjoying time outdoors with family, he draws continual inspiration from the landscapes and people of Cumberland. |
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| | | Can't make it? Watch the recording! | | For anyone unable to attend live, be sure to watch the recording on our CityTalk website! Recordings are posted within a week of the event. | | | |
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| | | Copyright © 2024 Canadian Urban Institute |
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