As we hit the midpoint of February, love, unseasonal temperatures, and the winds of change are in the air. Whether you are just becoming acquainted with Cityfi or have had a long-term relationship with us, we conjecture that our admiration for cities does not come as a surprise on our firm’s profile. To mark the occasion of Valentine’s Day, Senior Principal Camron Bridgford pens a love note to all cities and the qualities that make them near and dear to our hearts.

While red roses and blue violets may not be in bloom, winter temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast are on track to be the warmest ever. Communities are already, and will continue to be, impacted by unprecedented climate-related challenges and changes. Climate migration is one of these, as Associate Ryan Parzick dives into. However, communities, in collaboration with regional and national partners, can arm themselves with strategies and solutions for resiliency and human-centric outcomes.

Finally, we would like to introduce you to Vicki Fanibi, the newest member of Team Cityfi, who is an Associate located in Washington, D.C. To get to know Vicki or chat with any of the brilliant and insightful people on our team, do not hesitate to reach out!

A Love Letter to Cities

By Camron Bridgford

My dearest cities, it’s that special month – where the mistletoe has been replaced by hearts and chocolate candies – and we must confess: you make us swoon. You’ve been our love for as long as we can remember. Remember when the naysayers remarked that “cities are dead” during the COVID crisis? We merely winked at one another, because we knew the truth. From the original grid plan of Rome, to Haussmann’s grand Parisian boulevards, to the superblocks of Barcelona, you will forever continue to reinvent yourself (even when we do terrible things to you, like post-World War II urban renewal).

Like an intricate jigsaw puzzle, you bring together all the ingredients that can make for a high-quality, productive and purposeful life. You give us beauty and wayfinding in your unique urban designs, street architectures, signage, and building facades. You give us better physical health and transportation options through bike lanes, accessible sidewalks, tree canopies, community gardens, and mobility hubs. You connect us as humans through places to gather and commune, whether that be in parks, activated alleyways, plazas, markets, mixed-use and transit-oriented developments, or through public art.

I could go on forever, but those are a few highlights. Any of these characteristics, on their own, could easily be disregarded. But that is what makes you, cities, so special. You are the ecosystem that integrates all the moving, messy, beautiful pieces of our human lives into collective places, networks, communities, and opportunities that are our built environment.

Now, as in every relationship … there are a few things we’d still love for you to work on. Can we see a few more dedicated bus lanes; a handful more community electric vehicle chargers? Can you integrate climate and equity considerations into all your plans, at every step along the way? Also – a little refresh of your zoning codes to better ensure a balance of housing affordability, economic development, and sense of place would be great.

But please don’t worry, dear cities - these are not gripes. We just want to help you be your best. Depending on what you are committed to improving upon, Cityfi is ready with policy, design, data, partnership, and organizational development solutions (just to name a few).

But I do not want to detract from the original purpose of this letter – which is to say, dear cities, how much we love and appreciate you. We would not be who we are without you.

What is Lost and What Can Be Done With Climate Migration

By Ryan Parzick

Last April, we published an article in our newsletter providing an overview of the topic of climate migration, with a focus on the benefits and complications cities will experience when receiving large numbers of people leaving areas affected by increasingly frequent and intense weather-related events. According to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, cities losing population due to climate change should also be considered in the climate migration equation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 3.2 million U.S. adults were displaced or evacuated due to natural disasters in 2022, of whom more than 500,000 had not returned by the beginning of 2023. Cities that are losing population due to climate migration face several challenges, including economic decline, reduced tax revenues, strained public services, and declining property values. The loss of residents can lead to a downward spiral, where reduced economic activity and investment further diminish the city's capacity to provide essential services and infrastructure. Additionally, the departure of younger residents (generally more mobile) can accelerate population aging, exacerbating the strain on social services and healthcare systems. In the United States, there is growing evidence that more people are impacted by weather-related events than has previously been recorded. One study shows that close to 818,000 Census Blocks (7.4% of the U.S.), consisting of 16.4 million people, experienced a population loss of nearly 3.2 million people due to flooding alone. Fire, severe storms, and drought likely have similar impacts across the country.

Besides economic diversification and infrastructure investment, cities facing climate migration can consider the following measures to address these issues:

Community Resilience Programs: Implementing programs to help communities adapt to changing demographics and support social cohesion.
Regional Collaboration: Collaborating with neighboring communities to share resources and develop regional strategies for managing climate migration.
Policy Innovation: Developing policies that support the reintegration of returning residents and address the needs of vulnerable remaining populations.
Climate Resilience Planning: Integrating climate resilience planning into all aspects of city governance, including land use, transportation, and emergency management.

By proactively addressing these complex challenges, cities can better manage the impacts of climate migration and work towards building more resilient and inclusive communities. Leveraging our collective expertise, intellect, innovation, and extensive network, Cityfi is uniquely equipped to tackle the multifaceted challenges cities encounter. Our track record includes the development of numerous strategic initiatives and the facilitation of cohesive alliances aimed at catalyzing lasting transformations for cities grappling with similar demands. Reach out if you would like to learn more about what we can do to help.

Welcome, Vicki!

Cityfi’s deep bench of talent continues to grow with Victoria “Vicki” Fanibi joining our team as an Associate in Washington, DC! Vicki is focused on equity and technology's role in urban planning and community development. She has dedicated her career to making cities more livable and lovable, and has extensive experience in sustainable land use, community planning, federal program management, and business development.

Before Cityfi, Vicki worked at Partner Forces providing mission support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), managing the implementation of a national security grant program. She guided senior FEMA leadership in several ways, including through the development of a department-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Vicki also served as a proposal manager at StreetLight Data, Inc., a transportation analytics firm, where she was responsible for close to $10M in public and private sector contracts. Her success as a proposal manager is deeply rooted in the research and coalition building early in her career at Smart Growth America.

At Smart Growth America, she led an 80+ member developer and investor coalition dedicated to expanding the construction of affordable housing nationally. She directed research on smart growth tools and generated reports on land use, transportation, and zoning.