Goal: Reimagine and modernize Colorado’s built environment to be both climate and hazard resilient, and environmentally sustainable.
Strategy 1: Integrate resiliency in State infrastructure funding.
What this looks like: Prioritize infrastructure projects that advance resilience principles and reduce climate change impacts through funding decisions and organizational practices. Promote local infrastructure decisions that further resilience, including green and blue infrastructure and
multimodal transportation; do this through funding, incentives, and the development of resources to help implement resiliency infrastructure projects.
Strategy 2: Improve infrastructure and land use coordination.
What this looks like: Integrate land use, air quality, transportation, water use, equity, and community engagement efforts to promote regional partnerships for growth and development that take into consideration future risks and conditions. Leverage existing State and federal funding sources and partner with organizations to establish new funding mechanisms for resilience projects.
Strategy 3: Establish model climate-resilient infrastructure standards.
What this looks like: Assess, develop, and promote the adoption of local and State standards that allow and encourage new and existing infrastructure that accounts for climate change and natural hazards. Leverage existing models to provide a science-based recommended State model.
Strategy 4: Ensure climate-resilient critical infrastructure.
What this looks like: Upgrade critical infrastructure, including watershed dams, to be more climate resilient. Establish a State buy-out program to incentivize removing high-risk and repetitive loss properties such as floodplains. Build support for green and blue infrastructure.
Strategy 5: Promote adaptive reuse and retrofitting.
What this looks like: Remove barriers to and promote adaptive reuse and retrofit of historic buildings to incorporate energy efficiency and renewable energy. Emphasize preserving historic integrity, while also working toward more equitable and resilient development.
Strategy 6: Grow a network of resiliency hubs.
What this looks like: Support the development of regional state-of-the-art resiliency hubs to serve as community centers for education, services, and community capacity. Provide access to food, shelter, power, and other critical services during emergencies.