Civil and Municipal - Jan 22

38 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 we feel we need to advance over the next 10 to 15 years in order to maximize the resiliency of the community in the face of climate change, sea-level rise, and changing environmental conditions.” Dealing with infrastructure is our main order of business, specifically upgrading the island-wide stormwater system. “On top of that, because of sea-level rise and because the system itself is a gravity-driven system combined with the island being very flat, low-lying roadway inundation has become an increasing challenge,” Samimy explains. “So, as a result, we have begun to reconfigure the whole system to deal with the flooding challenges that are not trivial at this instance and in time will only become worse if not improved.” With the help of a number of partners, Key Biscayne will transform its stormwater system Ocean to the east, and Biscayne Bay on the west. Improvements are constantly on the go to help make the community a stronger, safer, and more resilient place. The village recently passed a new budget that will focus on five key areas: providing a safe and secure village; fostering a thriving mix of retail, dining, and commercial district; offering engaging and active public- places and programs; providing accessible transportation; and building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Key Biscayne is working closely with several engineering firms, including a valuable partnership with AECOM, to provide major infrastructure upgrades to the village over the next decade and a half. The upgrades will consist of four main pillars: Shoreline protection, flood mitigation, infrastructure hardening, and roadway improvements. Samimy reports, “We have identified several different lines of effort that Architecture Asset Management Construction Management Design Engineering Grant Writing/Funding Strategy Operations and Maintenance Planning Program Management Resilient Infrastructure Strategic Consulting Offices Solutions Cape Canaveral | Ft. Lauderdale | Gainesville Jacksonville | Miami | Naples | Orlando Palm Beach Gardens | Pensacola Tallahassee | Tampa