Honolulu Climate Financial Risk Assessment and Funding Strategies

October 16, 2024 / Comments Off on 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. 

Communities in Honolulu are already contending with the impacts of climate change due to sea level rise, heat, drought, wildfires, hurricanes, and storm surge. Meeting the scale of this challenge requires systemic change in approaches to funding, financing, policy, and procedures. The City and County of Honolulu engaged HR&A to build an understanding of the city’s financial risk and develop a proactive, strategic approach to prioritizing investments in climate solutions. This includes preserving existing revenue streams for climate solutions and identifying additional funding and financing sources.  

 

Through this process, HR&A will develop a comprehensive roadmap and toolbox to ensure the City and County of Honolulu and its constituents understand the scale of fiscal risk; who is responsible for specific risks (whether it’s the City, County, State, Federal government, or private sector); the magnitude of needed investments and the City and County’s ability to manage their cost, and actionable strategies to develop a budget and financial approach to address and mitigate risks.   

NYC Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Assessment for For-Hire Vehicles

February 14, 2023 / Comments Off on NYC Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Assessment for For-Hire Vehicles

In 2022, Uber engaged HR&A to assess the current state of electric vehicle (“EV”) charging infrastructure available to New York City’s for-hire drivers and what is needed to reach the Mayor’s goal for zero emissions by 2030.

The report revealed critical gaps in the New York City’s infrastructure that will pose significant challenges to achieving this transition in the next 7 years and identified a set of strategies that bring together the City, utilities, EV charging companies, and mission-driven landowners to work together to accelerate the path to a cleaner, greener future.

The report recommends 10 strategies that will support enhanced access and affordability to EV charging infrastructure, build the processes and systems to support for-hire driver needs, and help achieve the 2030 zero-emissions goal:

 

  1. Identify high-need neighborhoods that overlap with where for-hire drivers live to prioritize where to place low cost and fast chargers.
  2. Work with utilities to identify high-volume pick-up and drop-off areas in which the grid currently has capacity to support new fast chargers.
  3. Develop a comprehensive EV infrastructure deployment plan to strengthen coordination with utilities, optimizing the City’s ability to achieve its emission reduction and environmental equity goals, and electrify the for-hire vehicle fleet.
  4. Aggressively pursue new federal funding opportunities to direct investment to target neighborhoods.​
  5. Streamline the permit process for EV charging as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to improve land-use processes.
  6. Leverage real estate assets owned/managed by public or faith-based entities to provide land for accessible, affordable chargers in targeted neighborhoods and near high-volume trip areas.
  7. Explore land use incentives for private developers to integrate public chargers with no gate/parking fees into new developments.
  8. Continue targeted outreach and engagement specific to the for-hire vehicle industry.
  9. Support EV charging operators in communicating electricity prices and charger availability with drivers, as well as in developing driver-centric incentives to reduce charging during peak load times.
  10. Further develop a new pricing structure for the cost of power for charging operators that makes charging more affordable.

 

The report findings were announced within this Op Ed in the Gotham Gazette on February of 2023.

 

Read the report here.

 

 

 

Buffalo Bayou East Investment Framework and Master Plan

January 30, 2019 / Comments Off on Buffalo Bayou East Investment Framework and Master Plan

HR&A worked with Buffalo Bayou Partnership to develop a comprehensive investment framework and master plan for Buffalo Bayou East, a 260-acre waterfront transformation extending Houston’s celebrated greenway network four miles east of Downtown. Our strategic planning work created the foundation for securing a historic $100 million catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation, which will leverage an additional $210 million in public and philanthropic funding to support the first decade of development and operations.

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership sought to extend their success at the nationally recognized Buffalo Bayou Park eastward into Houston’s Second and Fifth Wards, communities that have been disconnected from their waterfront due to industrial use. HR&A created an Investment Framework Report that assessed existing conditions and established a clear vision based on principles of authenticity, connectivity, inclusiveness, and resilience. We identified specific open space and neighborhood redevelopment opportunities while developing long-term implementation strategies that would guide Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s eastward expansion and catalyze broader community revitalization.

 

 

HR&A then managed the competitive selection process that brought on Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates to lead a world-class master planning team. We guided the entire master planning process, leading analysis and strategy development across real estate, funding, community engagement, and implementation planning to ensure the final blueprint would be both visionary and achievable. The resulting master plan’s credibility and strategic foundation directly contributed to securing the Kinder Foundation’s transformative commitment, positioning Buffalo Bayou East to become Houston’s next signature urban green space while driving economic opportunity in historically underserved neighborhoods.

 

Explore:

A 10-Year Plan for Buffalo Bayou East

Press:

Buffalo Bayou Partnership Announces Kinder Foundation’s $100M Catalyst Gift to Accelerate Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan

What’s next for Buffalo Bayou? $10 million grant accelerates master plan’s 3 key projects

Awards and Recognition:

Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan Named Finalist in Urban Land Institute Houston Development of Distinction Awards