Past Forums
The Urban Land Institute's Fall 2022 Coastal Forum took place on Tuesday, October 25th, 2022 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM in Dallas, Texas. The theme of the event was,
"The Texas Coastal Program and other interventions: understanding the evolving challenges alongside the partnerships, ambitious financing mechanisms, and design solutions that are paving the way for resilient coastal communities across the lone star state."
The program included an introduction to climate science by a representative from NOAA, a keynote presentation on the Texas Coastal Program by the Chief of the Program Support Branch from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, and three panel discussions on finance and insurance, intergovernmental coordination, and nature-based solutions and resilient projects. Speakers represented a variety of sectors, including science, public agencies, private investment, and development.
- > To learn more about the speakers and panelists, check out the Fall 2022 Event Summary and Speaker Lookbook
- > Click to visit the Coastal Forum Resource Library
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 2021 alone, the U.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters including Hurricane Ida, the mid-February Winter Storm/Cold Wave, and the Western wildfires which totaled approximately $145 billion dollars in damages. Though they are among the most populated and economically burgeoning regions of the United States, coastal communities are uniquely vulnerable to climate hazards such as hurricanes, coastal storms, sea level rise, and flooding. For the real-estate industry, the threat to the trillions of dollars of assets concentrated in these areas posed by climate change is palpable and the urgency of building resilience is at the forefront of discussion among investors, developers, and local officials. Among the many questions posed by real estate professionals is, how to finance and construct the infrastructure and improvements necessary to protect the people and land that support such a large share of the population.
In Spring of 2022, ULI’s Coastal Forum tackled the complex challenge of financing and investing in physical infrastructure for resilience in coastal communities. Stakeholders convened at the annual Spring Meeting in San Diego, CA for a series of presentations and subsequent discourse with experts from the scientific, public agency, private investment, and development sectors regarding real estate and resilience. An exclusive boat tour of San Diego Bay followed panel presentations.
To learn more about the speakers and panelists, check out the Spring 2022 Speaker Lookbook
ULI Coastal Forum Fall/Winter 2021: Preparing Communities for Federal Resilience Funding (Recording)
President Biden signed into law the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This generation defining legislation articulates a strong commitment to advance climate change preparedness. However, now the focus must shift towards finance and implementation of initiatives outlined in the Act and other federal programs, begging answers to questions, like:
- > What local implications and opportunities for partnership should ULI members be aware of?
- > How can coastal communities prepare for funding and competitive grants?
- > What are the community-level needs and barriers that need to be overcome to leverage federally supported resilience projects?
To learn more about the speakers and panelists, check out the Speaker Look Book.
Part 1- Q&A with Staying High and Dry: Public/Private Partnerships Tackling Sea-Level Rise
Part 2- Follow the Money for Resilience