Cities and urban areas are increasingly finding themselves on the frontlines of the global climate crisis – both as emitters of damaging greenhouse gases and in terms of their vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change. Our planet’s urban areas are also the coordinates where climate change and environmental injustice most glaringly intersect. According to UN Habitat, cities alone consume 78 per cent of the world’s energy and produce more than 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the urban poor are among the populations most vulnerable to climate change with hundreds of millions exposed to extreme heat, rising sea levels, and worsening health conditions caused by air pollution and substandard living accommodations.

As the world’s cities continue to grow with more than two-thirds of the global population expected to live in urban centers by 2050, their role in both combatting the climate crisis and confronting social inequities has never been more significant.

So, what are the key issues that city officials, urban planners, and architects must address in order to tackle the climate burden faced by cities in the 21st century? What role does innovation play in ensuring that cities are a victorious battleground in the fight against climate change? And what are the social justice elements that city officials must consider in order to design and build a more equitable urban future? These questions and more will occupy the gravitational center of the Reimagining the City for the 21st Century virtual event, composed of three parts.

This roundtable conversation will follow the theme of the broader event, with conversations among leading sustainability-focused academics and researchers from around the globe (SDG Consortium members), convened by the Earth Institute’s Center for Sustainable Development.

Zoom call-in link will be shared 1 day prior to the event, via email used for Eventbrite registration.

AGENDA

11:00 - 11:05 Radhika Iyengar, Director of Education @ CSD

• Background on this seminar connecting to the highlights from the previous panel on sustainability, cities and social inclusion.

11:05 - 11:15 Thomas Kock, Founder of Werk Architects

• Designing urban spaces considering different histories and identities of the cities

11:15 - 11:25 Professor CB Bhattacharya, Pittsburgh University

• Framework of Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) on leveraging sustainability across all functions of the organization to generate better business and societal outcomes.

11:25 - 11:35 Jamie Cloud, The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education

• Education in creating awareness, fostering commitment, and guiding actions toward a healthy, secure and sustainable future for ourselves and for future generations

11:35 - 11:45 Haein Shin, Education Adviser @ CSD, moderator for discussions

• Questions for Speakers

11:45 - 12:00 Discussion based on Prompt Questions & Member Experiences