Resilient Cities, Livable Futures: New York City Keynotes (Highlights)

“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. And then you win."

This quote from Mahatma Gandhi was presented by Cecil D. Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, during the Resilient Cities, Livable Futures: New York City Keynotes Event that took place on March 20th at The New School.

Hundreds joined researchers from the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) alongside practitioners, government representatives, and environmental justice leaders from 10 United States and Latin American cities who shared progress, challenges, and needs for building resilience to climate change in cities.From coastal flooding to intense heat and drought, cities across the United States and Latin America must prepare for futures where extreme weather events occur with increasing frequency and intensity. At the same time, these cities are working to become more just, inclusive, and sustainable. UREx SRN is addressing these challenges in a network of 10 cities collectively home to over 45 million people, including New York City, Phoenix, Portland, Syracuse, Miami, Baltimore, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Valdivia, Chili, and Hermosillo and Mexico City in Mexico.

Speakers included:- Dan Zarrilli / NYC Mayor’s Office for Recovery and Resiliency, New York City- Cecil D Corbin-Mark / WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York City- Jennifer Bolstad / Local Office Landscape and Urban Design, New York City- Walter Meyer / Local Office Landscape and Urban Design, New York CityThis event was presented by the Urban Ecology Lab, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School and was supported by the National Science Foundation and local partners at NYU, CUNY-Hunter, as well as Arizona State University, and Global Studies and Urban Studies at The New School.