Resilient Cities and Stormwater Utilities Are Shifting from Reactive Solutions to Cost Effective and Equitable Prevention via Future-Proofing: Thrive Indianapolis Case Study

In embracing the spectrum of resilience, Cities and Stormwater Utilities are looking towards new technologies, partnerships, and approaches to continue to safely provide reliable and affordable services while maintaining regulatory compliance. Threats to stormwater management include shocks from extreme weather events and chronic stresses such as aging infrastructure. Future-proofing is a creative process of working now to find effective and efficient ways to minimize effects from future shocks and stresses. The intentional and proactive approach described in this paper highlights ways to shift from being solution-oriented (react after disaster occurs) to prevention-focused (some natural disasters cannot be prevented, but resilience can greatly reduce the severity their impacts).