Climate Resilient Infrastructure

IDENTIFY AND MANAGE CLIMATE RISKS TO PHYSICAL ASSETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

Climate impacts present significant risks to infrastructure across the U.S. Many of our older built systems have not been designed to withstand the increasing effects of a changing climate, such as higher average temperatures, and severe storms, floods and wildfires. There is a growing need for more sustainable, climate-ready infrastructure with resilience embedded in its planning, design, construction, and operations and maintenance.

Governments and funders are increasingly asking project developers to assess the climate-related impacts of infrastructure projects and integrate climate change into planning and design.

Featured Capabilities

Infrastructure is the core of our business. With professionals specializing in all aspects of the built environment, we can support clients in all sectors with projects of any scale in all regions of the U.S. We are dedicated to helping organizations access innovative technical solutions and ensuring the delivery of future-ready infrastructure that renders enhanced performance, cost savings and vibrant, resilient spaces.

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Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Assessments

WSP applies technical and nationally-recognized frameworks to assess climate risks and resilience across various asset classes. We tailor the infrastructure risk assessment to specific client needs and conduct risk assessments at the asset, portfolio, municipal or regional level.

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Identify Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Solutions

Our experts can determine cost-effective solutions to manage climate-related risks and vulnerabilities identified for your assets. We can help you compare the effectiveness and cost savings of different options so you can choose the most beneficial solutions.

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Low-carbon Infrastructure and Building Design

We design high-performing buildings and infrastructure that reduce GHG emissions and minimize climate-related risks. We provide innovative, multi-benefit solutions that integrate climate adaptation and mitigation measures, while also improving environmental and community health.

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Mainstreaming Climate Risks and Resilience into Infrastructure Planning

WSP develops frameworks — such as the Adaptation Decision-making Assessment Process (ADAP) we created in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration — that incorporate scenario planning, risk management and resilience throughout the full infrastructure project lifecycle.

Additional Capabilities

Climate risk mapping and scenario analysis
Valuating climate risks to physical assets
Life-cycle Assessment 
Disaster mitigation
Asset management planning
Reporting and disclosure such as CDP, GRESB Infrastructure, GRI
Resource efficiency and management 
GHG target planning, analysis and reduction strategies

Insights

Our worldwide experts are creating the world of tomorrow. Here at WSP we do not only envision the future. We build it.

View our articles on resiliency

Other challenges that we have overcome

Miami, Florida, USA

19th Street Pump Station

The stormwater pump station and associated infrastructure are key components of a larger, citywide effort to enhance resiliency against recurrent flooding in Miami Beach.

Florida, United States

Florida Keys Sea Level Rise Pilot Project

Based on our pilot study of two low-lying island communities, WSP USA designed roadway and drainage adaptation solutions to reduce vulnerability to flooding from sea level rise.

Projects

Colorado Resiliency Framework

The first-of-its-kind statewide framework for resiliency considers a broad range of existing stressors and provides a comprehensive roadmap to adapt communities to the increasing threat of natural and man-made hazards.

New York, USA

Sleepy Hollow East Parcel Climate Resilient Redevelopment Plan

This urban renewal project aims to transform a flood-prone former industrial site into a multi-purpose space using resiliency strategies to adapt to a changing climate.

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Sacramento, California, USA

Climate Readiness Assessment and Action Plan

By assessing risks to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) assets and infrastructure, WSP helped SMUD evaluate current mitigation measures, identify priorities for additional actions, and gauge its current state of climate readiness.

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Virginia to Maryland, USA

Virginia Beach Coastal Flooding Resilient Infrastructure

WSP USA’s phased improvements to the region’s infrastructure, designed to increase resilience against increasingly extreme weather events and sea level rise, have already proved their protective potential.

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Florida, United States

Pinellas County Restore Act Vulnerability Assessment

WSP in the U.S. assisted in advancing an assessment of long-term vulnerabilities and the development of climate adaptation strategies in response to future tidal flooding and storm surge for all of Pinellas County, Florida.

Staten Island, New York, USA

Living Breakwaters Coastal Resilience

An innovative living infrastructure solution, incorporating a necklace of offshore breakwaters, aims to reduce coastal erosion, revive ecologies, and connect the community to the Staten Island shoreline.

Projects

US Navy Renewable Energy Program

To assist the U.S. Navy in achieving energy security, WSP USA performed environmental assessments at numerous installations within an abbreviated schedule to expedite diversification of our client’s energy portfolio.

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Richland, Washington, US

Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington

The Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus has undergone a major expansion, including a new 150,000 square feet, two-story Biological and Computational Science Facility. This has two distinct wings with very different heating and ventilation requirements.

San Francisco, California, USA

Salesforce Tower, San Francisco

Completed in 2018, Salesforce Tower has redefined the San Francisco skyline. It is the tallest tower in San Francisco and the focal point of the Transbay redevelopment area that includes commercial, housing, retail and entertainment facilities.