Arcadis has strengthened its global cities programme with the appointment of Anusha Shah as director of resilient cities in the UK. In this newly created role, Shah will focus on working with city leaders to better understand short- and long-term resiliency planning challenges and  support organisations in meeting their net zero targets, looking at measures to help make cities more inclusive, investable, safe, resilient and sustainable as they respond to the pressures of mass urbanisation and climate change.

Shah joins Arcadis from her previous role as founder and CEO of Plan for Earth, a consultancy offering advisory services in water, climate change adaptation and resilience, sustainability and inclusive design.  A chartered engineer, Shah specialises in water and environmental engineering with nearly 20 years’ experience in designing, managing and leading projects and programmes both in the UK and internationally.  She brings a wealth of experience working with government, NGOs, consultants, contractors, regulator and utility companies and has led various multidisciplinary and cross-cultural projects on water, environment, flood risk management, mining and rail.

Commenting on her appointment, Shah said: “With mass urbanisation on the increase, creating resilient cities that can withstand, respond to and thrive in the face of some of the world’s most pressing issues around climate change and water scarcity is more important than ever. We need to find innovative ways to address these challenges, not just from a societal perspective but also in terms of developing bankable solutions and attracting investment. 

“We can add a lot of value through resilience master planning and designing infrastructure with resilience-led thinking. I am excited that my role at Arcadis will see me supporting organisations in meeting their net zero targets and exploring how to add value to a city and its communities whilst achieving essential climate change adaptation.”

Peter Hogg, UK cities director at Arcadis, added: “Anusha’s expertise in climate change and sustainability will bring a real depth and focus that supports our work with cities and city leaders around the UK. In creating places where people want to live and work, we need to be planning long-term, and creating resilient, future-proofed communities is a key part of the picture. Understanding the impacts of climate change and how we can respond to its challenges will be crucial to how we shape our cities, and Anusha will play an integral role in driving forward this agenda.”