Superstorm Sandy spurred the New York City Economic Development Corporation to form the RISE:NYC program, a global competition for innovative solutions to post-disaster resiliency. Arup's Sarah Wesseler spoke with them to learn more.
Image Credit: Urban Green Energy
"How does this compare to resiliency initiatives happening in other parts of the world? Have other cities been doing similar things, or have you had people reach out from other places to see if something like this could work there?
I think we created an innovative model for identifying new technologies and sourcing new ideas. We started by outlining the problems rather than predefining solutions. And we used a multiphase application process, which allowed us to incorporate feedback into the design of additional application rounds.
We also used a fairly simple web-based application and relied heavily on social media to cast a wide net globally.
This was not your typical federal RFP process. We wanted something that felt accessible and let applicants invest their time and energy in putting forward strong proposals rather than interpreting federal regulations and legalese. We hope the process we set up can act as a model both in the US and internationally."
Read the full story: Global call for ideas reveals promising resilience solutions
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