Scaling value and resilience through district utility systems with Daniel Hansen

What if entire neighborhoods shared integrated infrastructure—cutting costs, boosting performance, and unlocking real climate resilience?That’s the promise of district utility systems: shared infrastructure networks that serve multiple buildings with centralized solutions. From recovering waste heat and recycling greywater to deploying resilient solar-plus-storage microgrids, these systems offer a more holistic—and scalable—way to build sustainable communities.In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sits down with Daniel Hansen, Managing Partner of NEXT Infrastructure, to explore why district utility systems are gaining traction—and what it takes to make them work. With a background in civil engineering and an MBA from Oxford, Daniel brings deep experience in delivering sustainable infrastructure. Earlier in his career, he worked in-house with developers on transformative projects like the Hunters Point Shipyard, Candlestick Point, Concord Naval Weapons Station, and the Potrero Power Station. Today, he advises cities, developers, and utilities across North America on how to turn ambitious climate goals into bankable, buildable infrastructure solutions.Resources:Stanford University District Energy SystemWhisper Valley's innovative geothermal infrastructure powers zero energy capable homesSend us Fan MailThanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here. Want to get in touch? Just email the team at [email protected].