Themes

Shaping the City New Orleans will look into a new lens, “Designing for Climate Emergency”, and will bring together planners, academics, architects and politicians to share about how they are designing effective solutions to preserve the future of their cities. With these different approaches yet common threats, Shaping the City New Orleans presents an opportunity to discuss new research and diverse architectural and planning solutions proposed by these two cities. The conversations are tailored around two main subthemes:

– Catalysing Urban Climate Resilience

– Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Why New Orleans?

Climate change is among the most significant challenges facing major cities worldwide. From floods and hurricanes to wildfires and desertification, extreme weather circumstances are growing in number and impact. These threats are magnified in coastal cities such as Venice and New Orleans, both of whose low-lying geography makes them particularly vulnerable to the threat of rising sea levels and extreme weather events. As a city with a unique history, geography, and urban fabric, New Orleans provides a rich and complex framework for examining the relationship between cultural legacy and sustainable urban development through the lens of environmental justice.