By Joshua Burd
Dresdner Robin is expanding its services to developers and property owners with the addition of resiliency planning and geospatial analysis and mapping.
Based in Jersey City, the land use consulting firm said it will provide the services using geographic information systems or GIS, seeking to address the evolving needs of clients in the fields of urban planning, environmental science and infrastructure development. To that end, its geospatial analysis and mapping services will support projects ranging from indoor racetracks to mixed-used developments to stormwater drainage, with specific services such as contaminant and groundwater modeling, environmental assessment, 2D and 3D modeling and insight for recreational space remediation.
“Our further expansion into geospatial analysis and mapping, along with resiliency planning services is a testament to our commitment to innovation and client-centric solutions,” said Tony Ianuale, Dresdner Robin’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. “These enhanced services will enable our clients to navigate complex challenges and achieve their project goals with greater precision.”
In announcing the move, the firm noted that GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface. It allows users understand patterns, relationships and geographic context and will help clients efficiently gather, analyze and visualize data for their specific purpose.
Dresdner Robin added that geospatial analysis and mapping services can bridge the gap between the client, subject matter experts and the data itself by answering spatial questions and making such data accessible and understandable to everyone involved in a project.
“GIS technology plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of urban development and environmental planning,” said Frankie Albin, a GIS manager at the firm. “We’ve seen success in projects where our team had already implemented GIS and are thrilled to expand the service offerings to all clients, regardless of the project. Our team is dedicated to harnessing the power of GIS to create resilient and sustainable solutions for our clients.”
Alongside geospatial analysis and mapping, the company is also offering enhanced resiliency planning services to assist communities in being proactive about coping with threats related to extreme weather and other climate change patterns, according to a news release. Such planning includes identifying general risk, understanding unique vulnerabilities with a community’s social and geophysical qualities and developing system-based solutions that will allow a community to optimize the way they plan, invest in and implement resiliency measures in years to come.
“As we embark on the expansion into resiliency planning at Dresdner Robin, I firmly believe that resilience is an integral part of every service we provide,” said Mallory Clark, senior planner at Dresdner Robin who will lead those efforts. “We’re not just shaping cities. We’re helping clients build visions and plans embedded in longevity and adaptability for the challenges ahead. Embracing the need for flexibility and endurance through future growth in all facets of the built environment, I see this as a pivotal moment for our company and the communities and clients we serve.”
Dresdner Robin’s expanded services in resiliency planning include providing technical assistance and professional planning services for master plan compliance, hazard vulnerability assessments and design development of resiliency infrastructure projects in communities throughout the state, the firm said. Meantime, it pointed to 2021 updates to the state’s Municipal Land Use Law that require communities to incorporate a climate-change-related hazard vulnerability assessment as part of their Land Use Element of the Master Plan.
The new service is aimed at supporting those requirements by helping clients identify potential hazards and threats, and then establish adaptation, mitigation and recovery plans, the news release said. The firm’s resiliency planning team will include the planning services group with support from civil engineering, landscape architecture and environmental teams.
