Smart Surfaces Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool (BCAT)
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Background: The Smart Surfaces Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool is a free tool that allows cities to determine the costs and benefits of Smart Surfaces adoption in their cities. The analytic engine is built upon more than 6 years of research and development conducted in trial cities including Washington DC, El Paso, and Philadelphia—the report Delivering Urban Resilience is the result of this work.
Description: The tool allows cities to input their desired adoption level of each Smart Surface type and examine the costs and benefits associated with implementing the selected Smart Surfaces adoption mix for their city. The tool draws from climate databases, state and national databases, satellite imagery, data from partner organizations, and other industry standard sources to determine the unique costs and benefits for each city. Users are also able to “drill down” to see all of the underlying assumptions, raw data, and other features of the model to see how specific results were calculated. Additionally, the analytic engine allows users to adjust built-in assumptions using their own data. City officials with self-generated data can use their data as inputs to customize the cost-benefit analysis for specific parts of cities.
Support and training: The Coalition and its partners, including the National League of Cities, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, USGBC, WaterNow Alliance, AIA, ACEEE and other groups, are developing training programs for city officials.