Climate Week NYC 2024 starts soon with more than 600 events, panels, and dialogues set to unfold about global warming, how to fight it, and what a just transition to a sustainable society may look like. AN editors rounded up some of the events surrounding design and the built environment taking place at the peripatetic happening.
The grand affair officially starts in New York City on September 22 and lasts through September 29, but AN included some programs taking place before festivities kick off too.
Thursday, September 19
Built Environment in the Spotlight: Decarbonizing Buildings Across Finland and the U.S.
Visit the Consulate General of Finland in New York at 605 3rd Avenue in Manhattan for a scintillating discussion about what Scandinavia is doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Using Finland as a case study, these green strategies will be compared and contrasted with local initiatives in New York, like Local Law 97, that share similar climate goals.
Friday, September 20
Fighting for the Future of Housing! A NYC Ferry talk and tour with Karen Blondel and Yessenia Funes
Join NYCHA tenant association president Karen Blondel for an NYC Ferry ride that starts in Dumbo and ends in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Together with Funkrust Brass band, Blondel—a.k.a. The Fearless Princess of Red Hook—will give a tour of her longtime home neighborhood of Red Hook, and the perils that residents face in relation to gentrification and rising sea levels. After stepping on shore at Strong Rope Brewery, guests will be able to listen in on a discussion between Blondel and environmental journalist Yessenia Funes.
Urban Power Unleashed: Cities as Climate Action Heroes
Sprawl is no longer a viable way of life if we’re going to live on an inhabitable, net-zero planet. That means cities are the solution. Join Philippe Rahm of Philippe Rahm Architectes; Sara Karerat, managing director of Center for Active Design; and Mahak Agrawal, founder of All Bits Count, to learn about how urbanism can unlock a green future.
Sunday, September 22
The Swiss Institute (SI) has organized an international group show that takes over 38 St. Marks Place in East Village. Environmentally focused art works by Gordon Matta-Clark, New Affiliates, and others will all be on view.
NYU Kickoff with The New York Climate Exchange
Governor’s Island has become a hotbed for testing new ideas to combat global warming, and securing a green future for all. To learn more about what’s happening on the Island just south of Bowling Green, join NYU at 309 Clayton Road.
Urban Post-Disaster Housing & Emergency Operations Center Tour
New York City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is at the forefront of climate resiliency. The Urban Post-Disaster Housing Prototype Tour: New York City’s housing landscape presents a number of unique challenges to traditional forms of post-disaster housing led by EOC members.
Monday, September 23
Greener buildings: Shining a spotlight on steel, concrete and energy efficiency
In a session hosted by Climate Group, listen to Diep Nguyen-Van Houtte, senior manager of innovation and business development, International Finance Corporation; Global Climate Policy, Trane Technologies director Helen Walter-Terrinoni; and U.S. General Service Administration administrator Robin Carnahan discuss best practices for slashing embodied carbon.
Unleashing the Power of Value-chain Collaboration
A bevy of impressive speakers will adjourn at Sustainability Summit NYC 2024. There, representatives from Henning Larsen, Ramboll, Urban Partners, and C40 Cities will discuss how to create sustainable and profitable urban transformations at scale. Yvonne Denise Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierre Leone, will provide remarks; and the event will be moderated by Julia Gamolina, founder of Madame Architect and associate principal at Ennead Architects.
Getting Community Engagement Done Right with WEDG®
WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) has a unique framework for engaging communities when it comes to climate change. Guests can hear about this framework in a round table by AECOM’s Lauren Micir, Robert Curtis of Curtis + Rogers Design Studio, and Patty McKee, senior manager of planning and design at Waterfront Alliance.
For ClimateTech Innovation Showcase
The fight against global warming is a multi-faceted one, and technological advancements play a significant role in this battle. Join the For ClimateTech team at Newlab in Brooklyn for an immersive day of pitches, panels, and networking opportunities where over 100 innovators, investors, industry leaders, hardware experts, manufacturers, and more will showcase the latest advancements in climate technology.
Global and Local Perspectives on a Just Energy Transition
On Governor’s Island, Pratt Institute’s M.S. in Sustainable Environmental Systems program representatives working on local and global energy issues will come together to discuss systemic and historic barriers in realizing a true Just Transition.
Tuesday, September 24
Women of Carbon: A Documentary Film
How does climate justice intersect with gender equity? After a nation-wide tour, a new documentary film, Women of Carbon, explores this question with vigor and urgency. Stacy Smedley, Tabitha Stine and Yasemin Kologlu will meet at a round table discussion after the film screening.
Timber Matters: Regional Approaches to Sustainable Mass Timber Ecosystems
Mass timber construction is a good panacea for decarbonizing the built environment. Lindsey Wikstrom, author of Designing the Forest and Other Mass Timber Futures, will moderate a discussion with other construction experts from around the U.S. about a mass timber future.
An impressive list of speakers from SOM, Foster + Partners, and Pratt Institute will meet at Nolan Park on Governor’s Island to discuss the amazing work underway there about climate adaption.
A Sustainable Future for Public Housing | How NYCHA is Addressing Climate and Quality of Life
Just about one in ten New Yorkers live in public housing. Many of the buildings where these New Yorkers live are in areas threatened by rising sea levels. Siobhan Watson, senior director of sustainability within NYCHA’s asset and capital management division, will join RPA members to discuss best steps towards insulating public housing from global warming.
AIANY Climate Change and Architecture Tour
It’s no secret that New York City is still reeling from Hurricane Sandy. Take a 2.75-hour boat tour with guides from AIA New York to learn how Manhattan is fortifying itself from natural disasters.
Sustainable Real Estate: Driving Demand and Investment
How is the real estate sector rising to the challenge of climate adaption? Hear from Steven Chen, head of design at Moliving, a sustainable hospitality company; Nicolas de Alejo of Climate CapX Advisors, a climate finance/investment company; Sarah Currie-Halpern, cofounder of Think Zero, a leader on building/operational sustainability and former sustainability advisor to Mayor de Blasio; Matthew Karmel, principal and chair of the Environmental and Sustainability practice at Offit Kurman; and Umar Sheikh, Department Chair and Principal at Offit Kurman to learn more.
Adapting critical infrastructure to extreme weather
Transport infrastructure, often made of steel, is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures. Hear from leaders at Arup, National Grid, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the MTA to learn about fortifying critical infrastructure from global warming.
Wednesday, September 25
At Brooklyn Borough Hall, a day-long event will take place where architects from Perkins&Will—Patrick Cunningham and Tyler Hinckley—discuss climate adaptation and city making.
Future Proofing New York: Planning for the New Normal
A long list of heavy weights from AECOM, SCAPE, The New School, NYCHA, Port Authority, Yale Center for Architecture and Ecosystems, C40 Cities, and other organizations will meet to discuss how to modernize infrastructure for global warming.
Adapt Together: Urban Neighborhoods Against Climate Change
Hear from NOMA president Pascale Sablan, Rasmus Astrup, and Zach Baumer to learn how architecture and urban development can contribute to essential climate adaptations while strengthening our social fabric and promoting equity.
Climate Ready Housing—Are We Prepared?
Ilana Judah, associate principal and Americas Adaptation & Resilience leader at Arup, will join members of the Environmental Defense Fund and Plover Parametrics to discuss climate-resilient retrofits in housing located near flood zones and areas of chronic heat stress.
Thursday, September 26
The Nature-Based Industrial Revolution: Redefining Future-Forward Architecture
Passive, vernacular design has long been accepted as a good solution for climate-forward architecture. Join Lance Jay Brown, Barry Bergdoll, and the UN’s Martina Donlon at the Center for Architecture to learn more about what speakers have called the nature-based industrial revolution.
Before a better future can be achieved, it needs to be visualized. Learn from Shepard Fairey, Olivier Grossetête, Richard Orlinski, and Jessica Carroll about how art practices are at the forefront of climate resiliency.
Friday, September 27
How to Get Away with Greenwashing
An independent film directed by Samuel Pigott, How to Get Away with Greenwashing, examines environmental crime and malpractice in ecotourism and private conservation. The screening at 233 Broadway will be followed by a Q&A session with Pigott.
Saturday, September 28
Environmental Justice Through Block By Block Microclimates In North Brooklyn
This interactive walk through Brooklyn will examine how health, ecology, and infrastructure affect marginalized communities.
Sunday, September 29
International Coastal Cleanup at Bayswater Park
Are you eager for some good old fashioned volunteer work? End Climate Week NYC 2024 on a high note by volunteering at Bayswater Park for a beach clean up.