Dealing will climate change will demand our best creative capacities. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy the vulnerabilities of New York City have become all to apparent. Clearly a response is required.
A recent post on Atlantic Cities by Roy Strickland gives a great example of what such creative responses to a changing planet on the local level can look like. As he describes it:
Following Hurricane Irene, a team of young architects, landscape architects and urban planners from the University of Michigan's Master of Urban Design Program, where I teach, gathered to develop an innovative concept to keep Manhattan safe from climate change.
The concept took the long view – 25 to 100 years out – and emerged from a set of assumptions. These included decreases in regional climate stability; global decreases in the availability and affordability of oil; increases in Manhattan's population; and increasing emphasis on health, education, research, technology and tourism in the city's economy.
Check out the designs. They are fascinating.
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