Watson Institute for Internation and Public Affairs
Brown International Advanced Research Institutes

Project

Towards a Climate Policy for World Cities

BIARI alumni funding was awarded to support an International BIARI Workshop: Towards a Climate Policy for World Cities, which occurred from May 31-June 2 2011 in Madrid. The workshop was coordinated by two BIARI alumni from the 2010 Climate Change Institute, Dr. Elena Lopez-Gunn and Dr. Francesco Musco, and sought to analyze, discuss, and debate the key issues affecting cities due to climate change, as well as policies and opportunities for designing city climate action plans. The workshop was premised on the notion that local governments are essential in the effort to think globally and act locally to combat climate change, and it sought to compare different cities' climate impact adaptation plans. The workshop, which brought together policy makers, urban planners, academics, students, architects, and community actors, touched on a variety of themes including: global collective action and climate change, urban planning and capital city plans, sustainable construction, stakeholders in climate change, and managing risk in cities. The workshop also included two fieldtrips: one guided tour of a sustainable neighborhood and one trip to Ecopolis.

The event also served as a further opportunity for BIARI alumni from the Climate Change Institute to collaborate and update one another on their research. In addition to the two conveners, many BIARI alumni presented at the workshop including, Jessica Bolson, Heather Castleden, Idowu Ajibade, Cristina Aguilar Porro, Ana Maria Loboguerrero Rodriguez, Admir Targino, and Raed al Tabini. The alumni highlighted climate impact plans in cities such as Lagos, Nigeria; Bogota, Colombia; Amman, Jordan; Madrid, Spain; and Venice, Italy.