CM #TBD

Guest Host: APA Sustainable Communities Division

Planners today are asked to respond to a complex set of community challenges, including the mitigation of extreme weather effects, provision of equitable open space access, beautification of public spaces, and collaboration with a diverse array of actors who build, maintain and regulate the built environment. “Nature-Based Solutions” or “NBS” is a term which refers to a broad set of practices that work with the natural environment to create healthier, better functioning, and risk-prepared urban places. In this session, you will hear from three professionals employing innovative NBS solutions in regions such as New England, the Mid- Atlantic, and Western plains states.

Learning Objectives:

• To explain the multiple benefits of NBS solutions as a type of data-driven, integrated design and planning, and describe their applicability to planning projects around the country
• To address how NBS investments can be implemented in partnership with communities, funding entities, and the professionals who maintain the new infrastructure over time
• To suggest possible monitoring measures for evaluating the performance of NBS investments over time
• Providing attendees with tips and tools to help integrate NBS in your own work

CM | 1.5