Cities across North America are grappling with aging infrastructure, budget constraints, and increasing community demands.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the U.S. infrastructure received a ‘C’ grade in 2025, indicating that while progress has been made, significant investment is still needed to adapt to current and future demands. In Canada, municipalities face similar challenges with aging roads, bridges, and water systems.
To navigate these challenges, city managers must adopt a long-term, strategic approach and leverage technology to build resilient communities.
City Managers’ Role in Strategic Infrastructure Planning
When it comes to building a better city, strategic planning is key. It’s the foundation for everything you do and helps municipal teams serve residents well over the long-term. By planning ahead, city managers can make sure resources are being used wisely, smart investments are made, and problems are fixed before they become crises. This forward-thinking approach is especially important for keeping up with things like a changing climate and a growing population. Simply put, strategic planning helps create a clear path to a more sustainable and resilient future for your community.
The Role of Technology in Proactive City Planning
City managers need modern tools to make smart decisions. Asset management platforms like Citywide Assets let you track the condition of infrastructure, predict future maintenance needs, and budget more efficiently. These platforms work by combining three key features:
- Centralized asset data storage: Puts all your information in one place.
- Predictive maintenance: Tells you when an asset needs service before it fails.
- Real-time dashboards: Gives you a live, at-a-glance view of your entire system.
When these features work together, local governments can shift from reactive fixes to proactive maintenance, cutting down on costly emergency repairs.
Real-World Example: Case Study in Strategic Planning
The Town of High Level, AB, faced a major hurdle with its aging infrastructure: outdated data and limited resources had made effective long-term planning nearly impossible. Rather than continuing with a reactive approach, the town partnered with PSD Citywide to build an asset management strategy. This collaboration began with a detailed assessment that identified critical gaps, leading to a targeted three-year plan. Focused on building a strong asset management culture, improving data quality, and integrating new technology, this proactive strategy has put High Level on a path to smarter budgeting and a more resilient community.
The Return on Investment (ROI) of Predictive Maintenance
Implementing predictive maintenance strategies can yield significant ROI for municipalities. While many organizations still use traditional time-based maintenance schedules, market leaders are gaining a competitive advantage through predictive approaches. Research demonstrates that predictive maintenance reduces overall maintenance costs by 18–25% while cutting unplanned downtime by up to 50% (McKinsey & Company, 2020).
For example, by using predictive maintenance on over 30 assets, a global chemical plant significantly cut down on last-minute repairs, reducing urgent maintenance work from 43% of their total maintenance load. This shift proves that data-driven decisions can reshape how an entire operation runs.
How Asset Management Supports Sustainability and Resilience
Today, municipalities are not only measured by service delivery but also by their ability to meet sustainability and climate resilience goals. Strategic asset management plays a key role in helping cities achieve these objectives by:
- Reducing Environmental Impact: Proactive maintenance extends the life of assets, reducing unnecessary and costly replacements, leading to less waste while reducing GHG emissions right across the board.
- Improving Resource Use: Centralized asset management allows municipalities to allocate materials, labor, and energy more efficiently.
- Climate Adaptation: Predictive analytics help municipalities identify vulnerable infrastructure and plan upgrades that mitigate climate-related risks, such as flooding or extreme weather events.
By incorporating sustainability into strategic planning, municipalities can improve community resilience, reduce operational costs, and demonstrate environmental stewardship.
Benefits of Strategic Planning and Technology Integration
- Proactive Maintenance: Predictive analytics identify potential failures before they occur, reducing costly emergency repairs.
- Efficient Budgeting: Data-driven insights allow for accurate forecasting of maintenance and replacement costs.
- Enhanced Transparency: Centralized data improves communication with stakeholders and the public.
- Improved Service Delivery: Strategic resource allocation ensures consistent and reliable services.
A City Manager’s 6-Step Guide to Strategic Infrastructure Planning
Building a resilient city is a proactive process. Here’s how city managers can take the lead in strengthening their communities’ infrastructure:
Step 1: Create an Asset Management Strategy: Crafting an effective asset management strategy is the foundational first step to a more resilient community. This strategy acts as a comprehensive blueprint, guiding municipal staff as they develop a high-functioning asset management program. It outlines key strategic initiatives designed to close gaps in staffing, processes, and tools, ultimately building the city’s overall organizational capacity for effective asset management.
Step 2: Develop a Comprehensive Asset Management Plan: An Asset Management Strategy provides the high-level framework and guiding principles for how infrastructure will be managed. An Asset Management Plan, however, goes further by assessing the current state of assets and projecting capital investment needs over the long term. These plans help decision-makers understand future funding requirements, risks, and service implications, ensuring sustainable infrastructure management.
Step 3: Adopt Integrated Technology Solutions: Leverage technology to work smarter, not harder. Implement a centralized asset management platform to track, analyze, and manage all your asset data in one place. These integrated platforms provide a single source of truth, breaking down departmental silos and allowing for information sharing.
Step 4: Prioritize Proactive Maintenance: Shift from a reactive “fix-it-when-it-breaks” model to a proactive maintenance strategy. By using predictive analytics, you can anticipate potential failures before they happen. This extends the lifespan of your assets, significantly reduces costly emergency repairs, and ensures reliable service delivery for residents.
Step 5: Engage Stakeholders: Involve stakeholders, from department heads and council to community members, in the planning process. By aligning your infrastructure goals with public needs and expectations, you build support and ensure that your projects serve the community effectively.
Step 6: Monitor and Adjust Plans Regularly: Continuously monitor the performance of your infrastructure and the effectiveness of your strategies. Use real-time data to regularly adjust your plans, making sure they remain relevant in the face of new challenges like climate change, population growth, and evolving technology. This iterative process is key to long-term resilience.
Optional Step 7: Work with Experienced Advisors: Consider partnering with experienced advisors who specialize in municipal asset management. These experts can help you conduct a thorough assessment of your current asset management practices and provide a tailored roadmap to achieve your goals more efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How much can predictive maintenance save my municipality?
Predictive maintenance can reduce emergency repair costs by up to 30–40% and extend asset lifespan by 20–40%. These savings come from fewer unplanned breakdowns and reduced capital expenditures. - Which assets should be prioritized in long-term planning?
Critical assets such as roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems, and public buildings should be prioritized. A risk-based approach, factoring in asset condition, usage, and the cost of failure, is often used to determine which assets require immediate attention. - How do asset management platforms integrate with existing municipal software?
Modern software solutions like the Citywide Platform are designed to integrate with existing municipal systems, including GIS, financial management, and maintenance management software. This centralization ensures all infrastructure data is accessible in one place, allowing for proactive planning and improved decision-making across departments.
The Foundation of a Resilient Community
Strategic planning, combined with advanced technology, is essential for building resilient communities. By proactively managing infrastructure and resources, city managers can ensure sustainable service delivery and prepare for future challenges. The successful approaches of municipalities across North America demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating strategic planning with technology to achieve long-term resilience.
With PSD Citywide, you can centralize your infrastructure data and improve strategic planning, all on one comprehensive platform. Learn more today.
About the Author
Chris Vanderheyden
Director, Asset Management Advisory
Chris Vanderheyden is an accomplished professional with a rich background in municipal asset management. Chris holds a degree in GIS and Urban Planning and certifications in asset management and infrastructure assessment evaluation. Chris is currently the Director of Asset Management Advisory at PSD Citywide. In this pivotal role, he leads a team of professionals in the strategic planning and execution of asset management initiatives across various organizations throughout North America. Chris’s influence extends beyond his leadership; he serves as a respected thought leader, actively contributing to the field through publications, webinars, conference presentations, and panel discussions.
