Center for Optimized Sustainable Infrastructure
California 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · EIN 39-2094794
Our built infrastructure is aging and is no longer meeting current and future needs*
*In ASCE’s 2025 Report Cards, the U.S. earned a C and California a C−
COSI works with cities, agencies, innovators, researchers, and policy-makers to change that — through measurable and monetizable KPIs, integrated and collaborative delivery, and California–Asia seed pilot projects.
C/C−
Our overall infrastructure grades — U.S. and California
ASCE Report Cards, 2025
4
Converging stressors on our infrastructure — one integrated response
Why COSI
22
Potentially measurable and monetizable indicators
COSI KPI Framework
3
Instruments, working together
COSI's Response
6
Research & action pillars
COSI Focus Areas
1
U.S. provisional patent application filed
June 2026
Who we are
We work on the infrastructure problem from four directions at once — physical and climate risk, institutional and governance gaps, economic stress and aging infrastructure, and societal equity — and turn those pressures into measurable KPIs and the financing and delivery mechanisms to act on them.
About COSIWhy COSI
Four converging pressures. One integrated response.
Climate change, aging infrastructure, societal inequity, and economic strain are converging — and the cost of inaction is rising fast. COSI exists to translate research into infrastructure that meets all four pressures at once, with the metrics, financing, and delivery models needed to act on it.
The Pressure
Four converging stressors on our infrastructure.
Physical & Climate Threats
Wildfire, flood, seismic risk, sea-level rise, and extreme heat demand proactive infrastructure adaptation.
Institutional & Governance
Agency silos, slow permitting, and misaligned procurement block effective infrastructure delivery.
Economic Stressors & Aging Infrastructure
Aging systems and underinvestment create compounding economic risk for municipalities and communities.
Societal Equity
Underserved communities bear disproportionate infrastructure burden. COSI centers equity in every KPI.
Our Response
Three instruments, working together.
Applied Research & KPIs
Measurable indicators across Physical, Institutional, Economic, and Societal pillars, built to be valued, financed, and tracked.
AI & Data Science
AI and data science fill critical data gaps, model threat scenarios, and surface decisions infrastructure agencies can act on.
Cal–Asia Partnerships
Bilateral pilot projects between California and Asia enable knowledge exchange and scalable model testing across contexts.
Research & Frameworks
What COSI is building.
Frameworks and pilot programs designed to be used — by agencies, investors, and researchers.
The Opportunity
An opportunity to rebuild better.
“The current state of aging infrastructure, coupled with immediate threats associated with climate resilience, the environment, societal issues, and the economy provide an opportunity to demonstrate true value in rebuilding.”
Years of C− grades demand change.
ASCE’s 2025 Report Cards grade U.S. infrastructure at C and California’s at C− — aging, single-purpose systems built on outdated assumptions.
ASCE 2025 · US C · CA C−
Multi-hazard mitigation is a multi-benefit opportunity.
Wildfire, flood, seismic risk, sea-level rise, and extreme heat converge on the same systems. Mitigation designed for many hazards at once pays back across the environment, the economy, and society — “Multi-Hazard Mitigation, Multi-Benefit Opportunity.”
— NIBS, Building for Tomorrow: Integrating Lifeline Infrastructure
Rebuilding better takes new levers.
Three levers COSI’s research targets directly:
- New businesses & workforce
- New funding models
- New delivery processes
Ultimate Goal
Sustainable, Resilient, Cost-Effective Public-Serving Infrastructure, Implemented Expeditiously and Cost-Effectively.
Sources: ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure · ASCE Report Card for California’s Infrastructure (2025) · National Institute of Building Sciences, Building for Tomorrow: Integrating Lifeline Infrastructure · COSI multi-benefit synthesis.
Get involved · Tax-deductible
Be part of the work.
COSI works at the intersection of research, policy, and implementation. Fund the research, or join it — as a collaborator, partner organization, or pilot participant.
A California 501(c)(3) · EIN 39-2094794 · All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.