Climate Futures Symposium
Climate change poses existential risks to the earth’s ecosystems and humanity’s ability to thrive. We need to make systemic change across many sectors–including the ways we plan, develop, design, and construct our built environment, which accounts for a high proportion of emissions. On October 17-18, 2024, the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Michigan will host Climate Futures 2024, a symposium exploring the ways architecture and planning can help to bring about a better future for people and the planet.
Across two days of moderated presentation panels, speakers will show how urban planners, designers, technologists and architects help to reduce emissions, promote resilience, and improve equitable access to healthy and vital built environments. Symposium sessions will challenge the assumptions, interests, practices, and values shaping the current landscape of climate action, and they will open space for inclusive and collaborative imagining of new possibilities.
The event launches a new Climate Futures platform through which Taubman College aims to elevate our impact in discovery and education for climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice. By supporting students, faculty, staff, and partners in research and creative practice, teaching and learning, outreach and engagement, we aim to partner across and beyond the university to achieve inclusive, vibrant, and just futures.
This event is supported by the Guido A. Binda Exhibit and Lecture fund and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture Fund.
For seven decades, Guido Binda, B.Arch.’31, practiced architecture in Western Michigan, specializing in school design. Guido, with his wife Elizabeth, created this fund to provide for an exhibit program and annual lecture by visiting professionals.
The Raoul Wallenberg Lecture was initiated in 1971 by Sol King, a former classmate of Wallenberg’s. An endowment was established in 1976 for an annual lecture to be offered in Raoul’s honor on the theme of architecture as a humane social art.
Schedule Overview
For a detailed schedule, visit the Schedule page.
Time | Title |
---|---|
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | |
9:15 AM – 9:30 PM | Welcome Remarks by Jen Maigret, Climate Futures Faculty Director, Taubman College |
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM | SESSION: Art, Design, and Critical Digital [Infra]Structures |
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | SESSION: Degrowth and design for a better future within limits |
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch Break |
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Welcome Remarks by Anya Sirota, Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives, Taubman College |
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM | SESSION: Climate Resilient Communities |
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM | SESSION: Climate Conscious Construction |
4:45 PM – 5:30 PM | Closing Remarks by Lydia Kallipoliti, Director of the Advanced Architectural Design Program, Columbia GSAPP |
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Climate Futures Exhibition – Opening Reception at Liberty Annex |
Friday, October 18, 2024 | |
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM | Welcome Remarks by Antje Steinmuller, Chair of Architecture, Taubman College |
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM | SESSION: Michigan Climate Futures |
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | SESSION: Transforming Built Environments in Community |
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch Break |
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | SESSION: Training to Shape Future Communities |
2:45 PM – 4:00 PM | SESSION: Universities Catalyzing Transformation |
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Closing Remarks by Jonathan Massey, Dean, Taubman College |
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Closing Reception |
Participants
For a full list of speakers, presenters, and participants, please see the Participant Biographies page.