Climate change and natural disasters are fundamental drivers of migration and will grow in importance in the future. Through interdisciplinary panels and breakout sessions, the Conference on Cities, Climate and Migration, hosted by the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility in collaboration with other departments at The New School, will address the challenges facing cities in the U.S., examine issues of social justice in planning responses, and explore the role of cities as actors on the national and global level.

Join us for this full-day program. You may find the full schedule below and RSVP here.

9:00 to 9:15: Welcome Remarks

9:15 to 10:45: Global Perspectives on Climate Change and Migration 
Moderator: T. Alexander Aleinikoff, University Professor and Director, The Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School

Speakers:
Vicki Arroyo: Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center
Walter Kaelin: Professor, University of Bern, Switzerland and Envoy of the Chair of the Platform on Disaster Displacement
Kanta Kumari Rigaud: Lead Environmental Specialist, Climate Change Group, World Bank

10:45 to 12:15: New York City: Rising Sea Levels & Post Sandy Recovery 
Moderator: Joel Towers, Executive Dean of Parsons School of Design, The New School
Speakers:
Timon McPhearson: Associate Professor, Urban Systems Lab, The New School
William Solecki: Professor of Geography at Hunter College-City University of New York and Co-chair of the New York City Panel on Climate Change
Cynthia Mellon: Policy Coordinator, Climate Justice Alliance; Co-Chair, City of Newark Environmental Commission; Steering Committee, NJ Environmental Justice Alliance
Walter Meyer: Professor, Parsons School of Design, The New School and Co-founder, Local Office Landscape and Urban Design (LOLA)

12:15 to 1:15: Cities in International Governance 
Moderator: Bitta Mostofi, Acting Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
Speakers:
Caterina Sarfatti: Programme Manager, Inclusive Climate Action, C40 Cities
Michael Cohen: Professor of International Affairs, The New School
Colleen Thouez: Division Director, Welcoming and Integrated Societies, Open Society Foundations (OSF).

1:15 to 2:15: LUNCH

2:30 to 3:30
Breakout Sessions 

1. Humanities Action Lab (HAL): In this session HAL university coalition member, University of Illinois at Chicago’s Latino Cultural Center, will share approaches to a community-curated project connecting social and environmental/climate justice.
2. Feet in 2 Worlds, A project of the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School: The session will feature data visualization on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

3:30 to 4:45: Puerto Rico: The Aftermath of Hurricane Maria & Future Challenges
Moderator: Ana Baptista, Chair, Environmental Policy & Sustainability Management Program, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and Co-Director, Tishman Environment & Design Center, The New School
Speakers:
Pablo Mendez-Lazaro: Professor, Department of Environmental Health, University of Puerto Rico
Carlos Vargas-Ramos: Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY
Jennifer Bolstad: Professor, Parsons School of Design, The New School and Co-founder, Local Office Landscape and Urban Design (LOLA)
Catalina Jaramillo: Environmental Reporter at WHYY’s PlanPhilly

4:45 to 5:30: Closing Conversation 
Speakers: 
Daniel Zarrilli: Senior Director, Climate Policy and Programs and Chief Resilience Officer at NYC Office of the Mayor
Maya Wiley: Henry Cohen Professor of Urban Policy and Management, The New School
Joel Towers: Executive Dean of Parsons School of Design, The New School