About
Across North Carolina, cities and towns are navigating growing pressures, from flooding and extreme weather to aging infrastructure, rapid growth, and rising costs. This two-part program will focus on exploring digital tools and systems thinking to mitigate flooding impacts and other climate-driven hazards in Durham, Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas.
The first part of the program will publicly launch Built to Endure: A Smart Guide for U.S. Cities to Build Resilient Infrastructure that Lasts, developed by Duke University, Bentley Systems, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), AECOM, and Microsoft. The guide outlines how municipalities can mitigate the impact of natural hazards on infrastructure and communities by applying systems thinking, improving policies and regulations, expanding the use of digital tools, and empowering communities. A private technical workshop for municipal and state partners will follow the next day.
Twin Talks North Carolina: Wednesday, February 18, 6–8:30 p.m.
Part of Bentley Systems’ global Twin Talks series, this public event will bring state, regional, and local policymakers together with practitioners, researchers, and technology partners for a practical, forward-looking discussion on how municipalities can move beyond reactive fixes toward smarter infrastructure systems. The evening will feature a panel discussion with experts in sustainable, resilient infrastructure, followed by an audience Q&A. A welcome and networking reception will precede the panel, and an informal discussion will follow; refreshments will be served at both. Registration is required.
Private Workshop: Thursday, February 19, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
The technical workshop will convene government, academic, industry, and community partners to explore how emerging technologies such as digital twins—virtual replicas of real-world infrastructure systems that integrate data, modeling, and analytics—can enhance flood mitigation and stormwater planning across the region. The workshop’s goal will be to shape a proposal for the co-design and development of a Durham–Chapel Hill Urban Resilience Digital Twin for flood mitigation. Participants will help define priorities, data needs, system architecture, and strategies for long-term sustainability and statewide scalability.
About the Program
The program is hosted by Duke University, in collaboration with Bentley Systems, AECOM, ASCE, Microsoft, and Accelerator for America. The Duke partners are the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, the Pratt School of Engineering, and Duke RESILE.
