Cities are often thought of as distinctly human environments. Yet, a wide variety of wild animals continue to make their homes in and around dense urban areas. Experts increasingly accept that human, animal, and environmental health are intrinsically linked. In this vein, cities have the opportunity to consider how they can adapt their built infrastructure […]
As our climate continues to change, New York City is facing increasing pressure to adapt to the challenges posed by excessive stormwater runoff. New infrastructure investments—including in green infrastructure such as parks, restored wetlands, green roofs, and rain gardens—can help the City respond to present and future climate impacts, including excess rainfall. Yet securing sustained
Financing Resiliency: The Opportunity for Stormwater Fees in New York City Read More »
Join us at New York University for a special screening of Inundation District, a new film from Director and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, David Abel. Following the screening, David Abel will join us for a discussion and audience Q&A. Limited seats available. ABOUT THE FILM In a time of rising seas and intensifying storms, one of
Inundation District: Film Screening & Discussion with Director David Abel Read More »
By invitation only. Rapid urbanization and climate change present complex challenges for cities. As urban centers continue to grow and climate risks worsen, it becomes essential for cities to adopt measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience. At the same time, many cities are thinking about how to protect the wide variety of
In April 2023, New York City launched its new integrated greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for measuring local contributions to climate change. For the first time, the city is counting emissions from the food and other goods and services that New Yorkers consume. While buildings (35%) and transportation (21%) remain the top sources of local emissions,
Every year, New York City residents and businesses generate 1.8 million tons of organic waste, with nearly all of it ending up in landfills. In particular, organic waste, including food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard debris, is estimated to make up one-third of the waste collected from New York City residences each day. To reduce the
Over half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and this share is expected to increase in the coming decades. With growing urbanization, cities and their residents face substantial environmental challenges such as higher temperatures, droughts, wildfires, and increased flooding. In response to these pressing challenges, some cities have begun to develop local environmental
Global Sustainable Cities: Cities and Our Environmental Future Read More »
Though seemingly at odds with one another, a wide variety of living organisms and habitats exist in and around dense urban areas. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, and the urban footprint steadily growing, policymakers must think about how to protect the biodiversity that remains within urban areas and
At the federal level, opportunities and incentives to decarbonize buildings expanded in 2022 due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. However, many municipalities have seen their powers to steer building decarbonization curtailed in recent years. Notably, between 2020 and 2021, 20 states passed laws that limited local governments’ authority to regulate the installation
Has the Inflation Reduction Act altered the costs and benefits of electrifying buildings in New York? For instance, will the IRA accelerate the decarbonization of the New York State grid? And will it materially reduce the cost of installing heat pumps? With its slew of incentives for renewable energy and heat pumps, it seems
Electrification and the Inflation Reduction Act: Has the Calculus Changed? Read More »
