Title
Authorization to Apply for a Grant to Fabricate Manufactured Shade Projects from the Innovate PHX Challenge (Ordinance S-51454) - Citywide
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for and accept funding and/or products and services valued at up to $70,000 from the C40 Heat, Health and Equity Challenge Fund, to fabricate and evaluate a shade structure idea from the Office of Innovation's hackathon events.
Report
Summary
In 2023, the Office of Innovation launched the Innovate PHX Challenge hackathons to partner with residents to develop solutions to the City's most pressing challenges. More than 500 innovators from across the City participated in the first three challenges, focusing on expanding access to chilled drinking water in public spaces, innovations in manufactured shade and affordable housing solutions. A winning idea from the December 2023 event, in partnership with the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, features a shade concept drawn from nature that includes heat-mitigating materials and encourages airflow to optimize the cooling effects of the shade. We have worked with a member of the winning team, a mechanical engineer, to further develop the design with the goal of fabricating and testing the idea.
If awarded, the C40 Heat, Health and Equity Challenge Fund award of up to $70,000, in funds and/or products and services, will support the prototyping and testing of this idea, including community engagement and rigorous evaluations to inform manufactured shade projects in the City. The City Treasurer is authorized to accept, and the City Controller is authorized to disburse, all funds related to this item.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers John Chan and Gina Montes and the Offices of Innovation and Heat Response and Mitigation.