Data Centers as Urban Infrastructure: Impacts, Governance, Community Value
Thursday, October 22, 2026 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM · 1 hr. (US/Eastern)
Technology
Information
As AI-enabled services and digital systems expand, many cities are experiencing rapid growth in data center proposals. These facilities can create real pressures on local grids, water systems, land use, and emergency planning, while the community conversation often polarizes around a single question: “Is the revenue worth the resource burden?” In practice, cities and utilities may be working through standard zoning, permitting, and interconnection processes, but sustainability and community outcomes are not always evaluated in a consistent, comparable way across projects.
This session reframes data centers as urban infrastructure that requires coordinated planning and governance, not just individual site approvals. Participants will explore a practical, city-focused approach to evaluating proposals holistically—considering impacts, mitigations, and potential co-benefits—with an emphasis on metrics and decision tools that can be applied across jurisdictions.
Topics include grid integration and demand flexibility, alignment with clean energy procurement (on-site and off-site), cooling and water stewardship strategies, resilience planning for extreme heat and outages, and opportunities (where feasible) to create shared value through mechanisms such as performance requirements, transparency and reporting, community benefit commitments, and waste-heat reuse for buildings or districts.
Drawing from real-world public-sector and industry experience, speakers will share lessons learned and an adaptable evaluation framework that helps cities move beyond “tax revenue alone” toward outcome-based decisions that align technology growth with climate, resilience, and community priorities.
This session reframes data centers as urban infrastructure that requires coordinated planning and governance, not just individual site approvals. Participants will explore a practical, city-focused approach to evaluating proposals holistically—considering impacts, mitigations, and potential co-benefits—with an emphasis on metrics and decision tools that can be applied across jurisdictions.
Topics include grid integration and demand flexibility, alignment with clean energy procurement (on-site and off-site), cooling and water stewardship strategies, resilience planning for extreme heat and outages, and opportunities (where feasible) to create shared value through mechanisms such as performance requirements, transparency and reporting, community benefit commitments, and waste-heat reuse for buildings or districts.
Drawing from real-world public-sector and industry experience, speakers will share lessons learned and an adaptable evaluation framework that helps cities move beyond “tax revenue alone” toward outcome-based decisions that align technology growth with climate, resilience, and community priorities.
Learning Level
Intermediate
GBCI Rating System Specific Credit
Does Not Apply
Program
Track Session
Track
Technology
Learning Objective #1
Explain why data centers are urban infrastructure and how cities can strengthen zoning, permitting, and interconnection reviews with coordinated performance requirements.
Learning Objective #2
Assess key city impacts and community concerns from data center growth—energy, water, land use, heat, backup power, reliability—alongside potential local benefits and value streams.
Learning Objective #3
Compare city and utility strategies to mitigate impacts and improve outcomes: demand flexibility, clean energy alignment, cooling and water stewardship, resilient design, and viable district/building integration (e.g., heat reuse).
Learning Objective #4
Apply a practical evaluation framework to a sample data center proposal to balance impacts, mitigations, and benefits, and identify approval conditions, metrics, and monitoring/reporting expectations.
