We’re helping adapt to a changing climate.

Adaptation & Resilience

Every city and community must plan for how they’ll adapt to our changing climate, and we help our clients understand how. The first step is acknowledging that effective adaption isn’t just about climate. It requires multidisciplinary thinking around how issues like finance, design, engineering, and policy come together to shape infrastructure investment, land use, housing, and community and economic development. With experts working in all these sectors, we help clients understand the big picture: who is impacted today, who is at risk, how will that change in the future, and what can we do today to minimize future risk?

Projects

Honolulu Climate Financial Risk Assessment and Funding Strategies

HR&A is supporting the City and County of Honolulu to assess the City’s climate-related financial risks and define strategies for funding and budgeting vital adaptation measures. As climate hazards like coastal erosion, flooding, and hurricanes become more frequent and severe, this initiative marks a significant opportunity for Honolulu to safeguard its future by investing in resilient infrastructure and long-term solutions.

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Projects

NYC Climate Adaptation Roadmap

HR&A supported the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to develop the AdaptNYC initiative, including a Climate Adaptation Roadmap, a led a multi-disciplinary team to summarize and forecast climate impacts to New Yorkers through 2100, including how particular hazards (extreme heat, extreme storms, chronic flooding) will impact people’s health, homes, mobility, economy, culture, and community. The work addressed systemic and institutional racism disproportionately impacting New Yorkers of color.

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Projects

South Africa Metro Investments Private Participation

As part of an engagement with the World Bank Cities Resilience Program and the National Treasury of South Africa, and in partnership with local public policy consulting firm PDG, HR&A helped seven South African metropolitan governments advance a suite of nine resilient infrastructure and renewable energy projects, including stormwater management, river catchment rehabilitation, energy storage, and waste management.

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We Work with

City and State Agencies

Utilities

Building Owners

Services

Policy Evaluation & Design

Data-driven analysis for impactful solutions.

We conduct rigorous assessments and develop innovative policy frameworks to address complex socioeconomic challenges and create practical pathways that improve access, enhance opportunity for all, and generate sustainable community outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement

Inclusive processes that build consensus.

We design and implement collaborative engagement strategies that bring together diverse perspectives and foster meaningful participation. We build coalitions across public, private, and community institutions, use innovative outreach methods, facilitate transparent dialogues to navigate complex political transitions, build community trust, and ensure development initiatives reflect shared values and prioritize long-term equitable outcomes for all stakeholders.

Strategic Planning

Tactical frameworks that deliver results.

We develop comprehensive roadmaps that connect vision with implementation. Drawing on rigorous analysis, cross-sector expertise, and innovative thinking, we address systemic challenges, create actionable pathways for revitalization, build actionable strategies for inclusive growth, institutional transformation, and economic recovery that align resources with priorities and translate aspirations into measurable, sustainable outcomes.

Economic & Fiscal Impact Analysis

Quantifying value for informed decisions.

We conduct rigorous assessments that measure the economic and fiscal effects of transformative investments. Using advanced modeling, industry expertise, and place-based data, we evaluate job creation, revenue generation, multiplier effects, and public costs, providing stakeholders with compelling evidence to support investment priorities, secure funding, support negotiations, and demonstrate the tangible benefits of transformative projects.

Projects

Plan and Financial Analysis for a Climate Resilient Lower Manhattan

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New York, NY

Plan and Financial Analysis for a Climate Resilient Lower Manhattan

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the New York City Economic Development Corporation engaged HR&A to develop a strategic plan for Lower Manhattan as part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project following Superstorm Sandy. Our work led to capital projects with over $1.7 billion in committed funds, as well as the innovative FiDi and Seaport Climate Resilience Plan.

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