Creatively planned, strategically improved and adequately maintained, America’s infrastructure will ensure the long-term vitality and prosperity of our towns, cities and regions while strengthening the nation’s competitive position in the world. Success in this task will come from collaboration at home rather than from a set of top-down federal government programs.
At the Infrastructure concurrent conference, attendees explored several topics fundamental to building and maintaining strong communities and regions. Programming and activities have been designed to focus on practical skills, tools and resources geared toward cities of all population sizes and cover topics ranging from the foundational to the more advanced.
Learn More About the Infrastructure Conference
Download the Full Agenda of the Infrastructure Conference at the Congress of Cities and Exposition.
Infrastructure Conference Promotes Planning that Adds Value
Workshops and Resources from the Infrastructure Conference
Plenary Session: Infrastructure Opening General Session: Infrastructure Success for Prosperous Cities and Regions
Workshop: Creative Local Infrastructure Financing Mechanisms
Workshop: Water Infrastructure: The Need, the Opportunity, the Solutions
Workshop: Energize Your Community: Preparing for the Smart Grid and Electric Vehicles
Workshop: Innovative Transit Options
Workshop: Access to Broadband and Municipal Networks
Workshop: Key Partnerships for Successful Infrastructure Development
Workshop: Local Land Use Planning Solutions for Livability
Workshop: Translating Livability Principles into Everyday Action
Film and Discussion: A Crack in the Pavement
Plenary Session: Infrastructure General Session: Technology Applications for Improved City Service Delivery
Workshop: Social Media: The New Face of Local Government
Infrastructure Opening General Session: Infrastructure Success for Prosperous Cities and Regions
Friday November 11, 8:30 - 9:15 am
Local leaders can build unique and thriving communities successfully by connecting with regional peers and partners about land use, mobility, housing and economic growth decisions. This plenary session will explore how commercial, social, environmental, and political forces all shape community development.
View the Full NLCTV Webcast.
Speaker:
John O. Norquist, President and CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism, Chicago, Illinois
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Creative Local Infrastructure Financing Mechanisms
Friday November 11, 9:30 - 10:45 am
With such limited federal funding for infrastructure projects, local governments are looking to innovative financing solutions to fund their infrastructure needs. There is a wide variety of types of solutions out there, ranging from public private partnerships to a national infrastructure bank. This workshop will explore some of these solutions and give participants a chance to determine what would work best for their needs.
Speakers:
Liz Stephens, Program Manager, Public Finance Authority, Madison, Wisconsin
John Fenton, Chief Operating Officer, Southern California Regional Air Authority, Los Angeles, California
Eric Anderson, Transportation Director, Maricopa Association of Governments, Phoenix, Arizona
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Water Infrastructure: The Need, the Opportunity, the Solutions
Friday November 11, 9:30 - 10:45 am
The combination of population growth, variations in water availability and aging water infrastructure create a need for significant investments in water infrastructure at the local, regional and national levels. This session will examine the need for infrastructure investment, the opportunities associated with such investment and solutions that can help cities and regions thrive by exploring new means of financing water infrastructure projects.
Moderator: Jan Marcason, Councilmember, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Speakers:
Tommy Holmes, Legislative Director, American Water Works Association, Washington, DC
Dick Champion, Independence Water Pollution Control Department, City of Independence, Missouri and Chair, Clean Water America Alliance, Washington, DC
Additional Resources:
A Cost Effective Approach to Increasing Investment in Water Infrastructure: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA)
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Energize Your Community: Preparing for the Smart Grid and Electric Vehicles
Friday November 11, 9:30 - 10:45 am
Emerging technologies brought forth through the development of the smart grid and current deployments of electric vehicles are having a transformative impact on the energy demands of cities. And while both present exciting opportunities to diversify and reduce energy consumption across the country, many questions regarding “next steps” for local leaders still remain. In this session utility and federal experts will discuss specific aspects and synergistic qualities of smart grid and electric vehicle technologies, their application and the important roles of local government. Come learn what strategies, tools and resources are available for your city to prepare for and take advantage of opportunities within this rapidly expanding energy landscape.
Moderator: Matt Appelbaum, Councilmember, City of Boulder, Colorado
Speakers:
Mike Simpson, Vehicle Systems Engineer; Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems National Renewable Energy Laboratory
John Marks, Mayor, City of Tallahassee, Florida
Mark Lesiw, Associate, The Cadmus Group, Boulder, Colorado
Additional Resources and Handouts:
Smart Grid 101for Local Governments
Cyber Security Concerns for Local Government Energy Assurance Plan
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Innovative Transit Options
Friday November 11, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Even with millions of cars on the roads, an increasing number of people are embracing some form of alternative transport to get from one place to another. Rapid express buses and limited route circulators are joining street cars as a bigger part of the mobility mix, which can both reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. This session will highlight existing mobility efforts and offer details about implementation strategies and the results achieved to date.
Moderator: James Brooks, Program Director, Community Development and Infrastructure, National League of Cities, Washington, D.C.
Speakers:
Leslie Karr, Manager, Current Planning, Overland Park, Kansas
Leonard Roberts, Asst. Dir., Economic Sustainability, Coral Gables, FloridaBack to Top
Access to Broadband and Municipal Networks
Friday November 11, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Local governments are increasingly using broadband and their own fiber and wireless networks as a way to improve community services (while lowering costs), improve their constituents’ socioeconomic status and strengthen local economies. This workshop will share ideas and experiences for improving your communities through broadband access by discussing successful municipal networks, public private partnerships and applications.
Moderator: Andy Huckaba, Council Member City of Lenexa, KS and ITC Committee Chair
Speakers:
Christopher Mitchell, Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative, Institute for Local Self Reliance, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Albert Elbaz, Development Manager, Municipal Network Solutions, Johnson Controls, Irving, Texas
Tom Koutsky, Chief Policy Council, Connected Nation, Washington, DC
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Key Partnerships for Successful Infrastructure Development
Friday November 11, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
The need for an improved infrastructure system for this nation is great. Population growth and aging transportation and water infrastructure systems that are functioning beyond their capacity threaten local and regional economies, the environment and public health and safety. The most obvious fix to this solution is funding, but there is an even greater need to ensure that infrastructure development decisions are made collectively by all stakeholders. This session will focus on who the stakeholders are and what their impact can be in making effective infrastructure development decisions.
View the Full NLCTV Webcast.
Moderator: Julia Pulidindi, Senior Associate, Infrastructure Program, National League of Cities, Washington, DC
Speakers:
Joshua Ellis, Project Manager, Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Illinois
Jeff Taebel, FAICP, Director, Community and Environmental Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston, Texas
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Local Land Use Planning Solutions for Livability
Friday November 11, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Cities, towns and suburbs can take action to promote livability by maintaining affordable housing, accommodating mixed-used development and providing sufficient density to support an equitable and efficient transportation network. By understanding the principles of livability, communities can realize the economic, environmental and quality of life benefits. This workshop focuses on how local governments are using these land use planning principles to maximize the value of existing communities.
Moderator: Dennis Doyle, Mayor, Beaverton, Oregon and First Tier Suburbs Council Vice Chair
Speakers:
Scott Polikov, President, Gateway Planning Group, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas
Shannon Scutari, Scutari & Co., LLC, Scottsdale, Arizona
Additional Resources:
Sustainable Communities Fund
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Translating Livability Principles into Everyday Action
Friday November 11, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
In 2009, the US Department of Transportation, US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development established six principles for Sustainable Communities. Working collaboratively with the National Association of Regional Councils, the National League of Cities (NLC) and other local government organizations are providing policy direction for the on-going research. NLC is also advising on the development of mechanisms to implement livability. This session will review common themes and solicit feedback on how local elected officials can lead the conversation on livability in their municipalities.
View the Full NLCTV Webcast.
Speakers:
Erika Young, Transportation Director, National Association of Regional Councils, Washington, DC
Julia Pulidindi, Senior Associate, Infrastructure Program, National League of Cities, Washington, DC
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A Crack in the Pavement
Friday November 11, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
A documentary film by Andrea Torrice focusing on the decaying infrastructure and dwindling tax base in first-ring suburban communities and the limited national priority given to maintaining the infrastructure and job creation investments in cities that were the birthplace of the American Dream. A facilitated discussion will follow the viewing of this 27 minute film.
Learn More about the Film
Facilitator: Mike Kasperzak, Vice Mayor, Mountain View, California
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Infrastructure General Session: Technology Applications for Improved City Service Delivery
Saturday November 12, 9:15 - 10:30 am
Local governments across the country are embracing technological advances to help improve services they provide to their constituents. This can range from moving services online to better engaging their communities to improving the way local governments function internally. This morning plenary will discuss some of the tried and true technological solutions that are helping improve the way local governments function as well as new innovations that are available to cities.
View the full NLCTV Webcast.
Moderator: Andy Huckaba,
Council Member City of Lenexa, KS and ITC Committee Chair
Speaker:
Diane Gardner, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Department, City of Mesa, Arizona
Roy D. Buol, Mayor, City of Dubuque, Iowa
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Social Media: The New Face of Local Government
Saturday November 12, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Social media is bringing a revolution to citizen’s expectations in how they interact with their local government. In this workshop, city leaders will learn some key strategies for determining when and how to use these multi-channelled formats effectively to enhance and expand their outreach and engagement with residents. In addition, the legal issues of language, privacy and management of records will be addressed with authentic scenarios.
Moderator: Robin Beltramini, Chair, City Futures Panel on Democratic Governance, Councilmember, Troy, Michigan
Speakers:
Matt Leighninger, Executive Director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium, Washington, DC
Todd Hale, Esq. Lewis and Roca, LLP Tucson, Arizona
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