January 2017 | Business View Magazine

74 75 and turn it into urban-ag. We’re putting all the pieces together for that. We just won a grant to have a solar advisor embedded at City Hall, and we streamlined solar permitting. “So,we are actually implementing programs,not just creating plans. I do anticipate a lot of initiatives we alreadyhave being rolled out and implemented are going to align nicelywith 100 Resilient Cities. I anticipate that the plan that we finally produce is going to include a lot of the initiatives that are already underway and on the ground.” One of the advantages of being a Resilient City is the opportunity to share information with other municipalities in the program. “There’s a lot of crossover on the types of problems that cities are facing,” says Benfield. “That’s the whole reason for the program. Cities can learn best practices from one another and there’s a lot of collaboration. Mexico City, for example, has the same type of flooding prob- lems as Atlanta; so does Capetown. So, I can have a conversation with the Resilience Offi- cer in those two cities and we can share best practices about how they’ve dealt with those issues. I had a meeting recently in Washington, D.C. with Chief Resilience Officers from five U.S. cities and we were getting nuts and bolts on some of the issues that we’re facing. So, a lot of the discussions we’re having are very detailed and action-oriented.” Atlanta, Georgia Because of the massive funding provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, there are also many global opportunities for the dissemination and sharing of information and best practices. “They may fly us all to Rotterdam so we can learn what they’re doing,” Benfield adds. “There are also international conferences that they’ll include us in. If there’s an international con- ference dealing with climate issues, or quality of life, they’ll do a breakout session for all the Resilience Officers who are attending. They are constantly looking for synergies with other organizations.” According to Benfield, another focal point of the 100 Resilient Cities Initiative is how cities can create economically vibrant communities. “The focus is strongly on recruiting businesses, keeping businesses, and creating an environment where those businesses can thrive and prosper,” she relates. “For example, transportation is criti- cal. When companies come to Atlanta, they want to know how accessible their future site is to public transit. How easy is it for their workforce to get there?” Once again,Atlanta,which is well-known na- tionally for its automobile gridlock problems during rush hour, is moving proactively to amelio- rate the situation. “The only way we’re going to solve gridlock is getting people out of their cars,” Benfield declares. “So,we just passed a Transpor- Preferred vendors n TOTO www.toto.com TOTO is the world’s largest plumbing products manufacturer, offer- ing a complete line of commercial and decorative plumbing fixtures and fittings, faucets, accessories, shower and flush valves, as well as lavatories, toilets, air baths, and urinals. The company was founded in Japan, in 1917 by Kazuchika Okura. TOTO has always embraced technology, pursued the highest levels of cleanliness, incorporated high aesthetic standards, protected the environment, and worked to improve people’s lifestyles. Because the company has continually innovated in all of these areas, it has become the world standard of excellence for a quality bathroom experience. n Republic Services www.republicservices.com n Amanda Brown-Olmstead www.newaboa.com