PRE Collective

Such a joy speaking with Shalini Vajjhala, for Episode 03: of 319Climate Innovating Climate Conversations - now availble on YouTube and Spotify! Shalini is Executive Director of PRE Collective, a public service-minded infrastructure and project development expert focused on helping communities make the most of transformational infrastructure opportunities. Shalini is also the founder of re:focus partners, an organization dedicated to developing resilient and sustainable infrastructure solutions. What you’ll learn: Curiosity 🧠 . Shalini was always curious about why people lived in precarious places in megacities? Metaphor and Analogies for Climate Resilience 📕 . The role of metaphor in climate resilience. Shalini challenges her team to think differently and the two parallels that she finds most useful are early childhood education and preventative health care because of global benefits from early action, strong positive outcomes, and negative outcomes avoided. The Two Questions ⁉️ . Two key questions are at the bedrock of their work. 1: Who loses money if we don't do something here? 2: Who suffers if we don't get this right? It’s all about allowing people to get into the experience of decision-making, not just the idea of making a decision. Lessons Learned 🎒 . During her time in the Obama Administration, she was involved in trying to encourage more investment in green infrastructure. She realised that for effective change, she needed to get closer to the ground and create precedents, not just pilots, for how to do effective resilience work Upstream 🎏 . Acknowledging the role of work upstream. Shalini talks about the importance of predevelopment work – the influx of money and projects with little support to local governments and communities. Like a relay race, her team helps locals set the finish line and guide runners to that finish line to get projects done. Shovel Worthy versus Shovel Ready ⚒️ .  Learning the difference between having some off-the-shelf drawing for something you wanted to build 10 years ago that you dust off and make modern versus saying what do we actually need now and next? Listening is paramount 🦻 . Often, resilience projects for communities need to consider what the community needs even before an adaptation measure is implemented, such as streetlights and safety before EV chargers are installed. Ask lots of questions of people. Walk in one direction, which is from needs to ideas to projects to money. #resilience #climatefinance #leadership 319Climate PRE Collective

Every first of the month this year, I’ve shared a #firstprinciple that motivates our work at PRE Collective. To start this month, here is a round-up of all ten of our first principles. As 2024 comes to a close, I’d love to hear which of these resonate most strongly for you with thanks to everyone who commented and shared along the way! #predevelopment #multibenefit #infrastructure #equity #climateaction #community #resilience #placemaking #naturebasedsolutions HT Benjamin Shorofsky Caroline George

Another first of the month and another #firstprinciple from our team at PRE Collective: find (or create) positive forcing events. With the news full of compounding crises, it can be tough to find the bright spots on the horizon. Our team at PRE is always looking for local forcing events that can drive positive change. Right now, we’ve got our eyes on the 2026 #WorldCup as a catalyst for #community-led #climate #action. What big things are you excited about in 2-3 years that could drive positive change now? HT Chante Harris Galen Treuer Cali Williams Eunoia Kyanite Partners https://lnkd.in/gEcmDUss

California faces a dual challenge: $50 billion needed for water and wastewater infrastructure maintenance and 3.5 million homes required in the next decade. These issues intersect profoundly. Check out our latest blog, "How Housing and Infrastructure Intersect," and dive into the discussion and watch the replay for actionable strategies: https://bit.ly/4cowEob Explore insights from our recent conversation with industry leaders at BIG and PRE-Collective in "Hidden Cost, Vital Opportunity: Unlocking Housing Through Equitable Infrastructure." Learn how proactive planning and community-centered initiatives can unleash potential in disinvested areas.

"It’s indispensable to have both the physical infrastructure and the social connections if we want to respond well in emergencies." Read this Q&A with expert Shalini Vajjhala on why civic infrastructure is critical for community resilience. https://lnkd.in/ejZ6cMd8 #climate #design #civicinfrastructure #resilience #connections City of Hoboken OLIN Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC Gresham Smith

The best infrastructure is beautiful and multi-purpose. I am a huge fan of the work of Reimagining the Civic Commons and loved this chance to highlight how our team works at the intersection of #climate #resilience #design #planning #finance and #culturechange around #civic #infrastructure. Read more about our work PRE Collective and check out the gorgeous examples from the City of Hoboken!

What #skills do you value most in your team and network? Another first of the month, another #firstprinciple from our team: success is collective. #Climate #resilience. #Community centered #infrastructure. #Equitable #development. These are all team sports. At PRE Collective we value “T-shaped” people. These are folks with depth—lived experience and subject matter expertise—and the ability to stretch out their fingertips and connect ideas and people across silos and divides. Read more about what makes a T-shaped person from Tim Brown at IDEO: https://lnkd.in/gD2Amg24 HT Benjamin Shorofsky for introducing me to the term and image credit to Jason Yip via Medium https://lnkd.in/gzCgzRy4 #collaboration #listening #empathy #creativity #hiring

Thank you to the Urban Land Institute for hosting yet another excellent Spring Meeting! Our Co-Founder Katie MacDonald attended and got a chance to hear from climate #resilience experts on the future of climate risk, public / private partnerships, and scaling projects for impact. 🏗 Special shout out to a few friends of Tailwind in attendance including; Shalini Vajjhala Monika Serrano Chante Harris and Isabella Joseph! 😎 Emilie Mazzacurati

Multi-benefit, community-centered #infrastructure projects are both the most exciting and challenging projects to #design and #finance. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s investment in early-stage #predevelopment with #greenbanks is a transformational opportunity to reimagine how #water infrastructure can serve as an entry point for #climate #action. I could not be more excited about this collaboration with Coalition for Green Capital and Quantified Ventures and these outstanding green bank awardees. Onward!

We're excited to announce 6 green banks will receive $1.3 million in grant funding and technical assistance to build the project and financing pipeline for equitable clean water infrastructure! Read more about the awardees and our work: https://lnkd.in/etf9mMFT Green Bank Awardees: Connecticut Green Bank, DC Green Bank, Groundswell Capital, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, Missouri Green Banc, SELF (Solar and Energy Loan Fund) A big thanks to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their investment in this collaboration among QV, Coalition for Green Capital + PRE Collective Tee (Terisa) Thomas Matthew Carney Annabel Cryan Shaun O'Rourke