Join the Climate Action Conversation: Register Now for the Center for Cities' Spring Symposium in New York City

The challenges to people and the built environment posed by climate change are increasingly urgent. In urban centers such as New York City, extreme weather events concentrate risks to residents and infrastructure. What actions should we take in the short, medium, and long term? How do we overcome the political and economic barriers to climate adaptation? How can we ensure our infrastructure systems and communities are resilient?

These questions will be addressed at a one-day, in-person symposium on Climate Resilience in New York City held on April 24, 2025, at Cornell Tech. Hosted by the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities, the event invites scientists, public health experts, engineers, civil society leaders, private industry representatives, practicing architects, planners, political leaders, and urban designers to chart a path for future climate action.

"The focus of the symposium is not about describing the scale or scope of the problem," shares Victoria A. Beard, Director of the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities and Professor of City and Regional Planning. "We are asking people to focus on action, on solutions, and to look forward. We want to hear about what is working and where work still needs to be done."

Gather, Share, Act: A Path Forward

The day's schedule includes a keynote address, panel discussions, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, allowing attendees to engage in critical conversations.

Key Symposium Highlights:

• Expert Keynote: Gain insight from experts such as Radley M. Horton, Professor of Climate at Columbia University's Climate School, who will offer the symposium's keynote address and set the stage for the day. This talk will provide a foundational understanding of climate science, including what is known and still unknown about urban climate change in New York City.
• Panel Discussions: Examine three key climate hazards New York City faces — flooding (resulting from precipitation, storm surge, and sea level rise), exposure to extreme heat, and managing precious water resources and drought — and what actions can be taken.
• Interactive Breakout Sessions: Take a deep dive with the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, explore the intersection of extreme heat exposure and energy insecurity with the NYC Department of Health, learn about NYC's climate budgeting with the Office of Budget and Management, and look at the city's environmental stewardship organizations with the US Forest Service (to be confirmed). These interactive sessions will demonstrate how to use data sets and tools to develop practical solutions.
• Networking Opportunities: This symposium provides many opportunities to connect with professionals, thought leaders, subject matter experts, and change agents actively working in the climate resilience space.

Featured Sessions:

Flooding: Examine challenges and proposed solutions with leaders in water policy, civil engineering, and climate and environmental justice advocacy.

Moderated by Professor of Urban Ecology Timon McPherson, whose Urban Systems Lab at the New School created the city's newest flood vulnerability index, panelists will include:

• Bridget Carle, Senior Vice President at Guy Carpenter, speaking to the challenges of providing flood insurance
• Alan Cohn, Senior Policy and Science Advisor at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, addressing the difficulties posed by NYC's limited combined stormwater and sewer system
• Jeanne Dupont, Founder and Executive Director of the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE), an organization on the frontline of flooding and sea level rise in NYC dedicated to bringing residents together to improve the built and natural environment
• Andrew Rumbach, Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute and author of Zoned Into Risk? Toward a Climate-Resilient Development Index for Housing
• Andrea Silverman, Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering at New York University and Codirector of the FloodNet project, which is working to design, build, and deploy low-cost sensors to measure and report hyperlocal urban flooding in real time

Extreme Heat: Explore public health strategies, architectural solutions, and emergency management systems addressing extreme heat exposure.

Moderated by New York Times journalist Somini Sengupta, the session will feature:

• Laura Bozzi, Senior Director of Environmental Health Policy at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, speaking to the impacts of extreme heat exposure — the climate hazard that kills more people than any other in the United States every year
• Rick Cook, Founding Partner of COOKFOX Architects, a practice with a core mission to create environmentally responsible, holistic, and biophilic architecture that fosters well-being and a healthy urban landscape
• Christopher Jones, Chief Engineer in Electric Operations at Consolidated Edison of New York, offering the energy perspective on how increasing temperatures impact the demand for electricity
• Peggy Shepard, Cofounder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, which expands political participation among communities of color and low-income residents to positively impact environmental planning and decision-making
• Melissa Umberger, Assistant Commissioner of Resiliency and Recovery at NYC Emergency Management, sharing the city’s efforts to help residents cope and adapt during extreme heat events

Drought: Dig deeply into the growing water scarcity challenges facing New York City.

Last year, a drought warning was declared in New York City for the first time in more than 20 years, and the New York City Panel on Climate Change identified water scarcity as a sustainability concern. While not often highlighted as a climate hazard for the region, the challenge is serious and complex, as the source of the problem and potential solutions lies both inside and outside the city’s jurisdictional boundaries.

Participants will include:

• Novem Auyeung, Director of Research and Monitoring, Environment, and Planning, NYC Parks, NYC Urban Field Station, focusing on the importance of maintaining the city's tree canopy
• Adam Freed, Principal, Bloomberg Associates, speaking about managing water inside New York City and the need to maintain the city's piped water infrastructure to prevent loss and waste
• Randy E. Hayman, Commissioner, Philadelphia Water Department, addressing the competing water needs of Philadelphia and current and planned infrastructure upgrades to prevent water loss
• Jerry Mead, Chief of Modeling and Analysis, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, who brings experience managing the systems of reservoirs that serve the city

From Action to Solutions: The closing panel will focus on actions and solutions at the city level. Representatives from other urban areas will discuss innovative climate change solutions and provide key insights.

Register Now

We invite professionals from across various sectors to come together to share their expertise, collaborate, and propose actionable strategies for ensuring the resilience of New York City in the face of a changing climate. This event provides a unique platform for dialogue and networking, with an emphasis on creating impactful solutions that can be put into practice, and assumes a base level of knowledge about climate change hazards and responses in New York City. Participants are encouraged to explore the provided collection of key documents, tools, data, and organizations before the event.

Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities Symposium: Climate Resilience in New York City

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