Climate ABC: Are You Carbon Curious?

This timely and important series’ inaugural public program, “Reinventing Cities” is presented in partnership with C40 Cities — a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. This program will discuss how the organization’s Reinventing Cities initiative seeks to transform underutilized sites around the world through sustainable and community-focused building projects to drive decarbonized and resilient urban regeneration.

Two timely case studies of sustainable future developments in Chicago and Paris will be explored — Assemble Chicago, that city’s first zero-carbon apartment building, and Porte de Montreuil, the first net zero-carbon neighborhood in Paris. Susan Piedmont-Palladino, architect and director of Virginia Tech’s Washington Alexandria Architecture Center moderates a discussion with Hélène Chartier, head of zero carbon development, C40 Cities; Thorsten Johann, Assemble Chicago design principal, Studio Gang; and Yvan Okotnikoff and Aurelien Delchet with Atelier Georges. These future projects are real-time examples of ground-breaking developments designed to meet the urgency of building industry climate action.

Learn how the intersection of industry, government, and the public – how they influence each other, where/how the public can get involved to improve outcomes – can lead to productive climate action. Theresa Backhus, associate director of outreach and engagement, Building Innovation Hub; Benjamin Fry, project executive, John Moriarty & Associates; and Josep Maset, VP Strategy and Commercial Excellence, Holcim, discuss the need for cooperation between these three stakeholders that will lead to the migration of actions from voluntary to standard to required. The program is moderated by Susan Piedmont-Palladino, architect and director of Virginia Tech’s Washington Alexandria Architecture Center.