Close

NYC Next: Trends for a Changing City

At our 2023 conference, we brought together experts to explain three key trends that will shape the future of NYC.

Published June 8, 2023

To reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, New York City will continue to undergo some pretty big changes. And as buildings are responsible for more than two-thirds of the city’s emissions, the majority of those changes will occur in the places where we live, work and gather. But what can we expect these changes to be? How will buildings in 2050 look different from today? Who will do the work? And how does it all fit into the larger scope of the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to bring emissions to net zero by 2050?

In our 2023 conference, NYC Next: Trends for a Changing City, we brought together experts to explain three key trends that will shape the city: getting to net zero, converting offices to apartments, and centering resiliency in NYC’s buildings of the future. We talked to the individuals who have an inside look at these trends and are doing the work to make NYC’s climate targets a reality.

Keynote address

  • Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA

Session 1

“Making net zero a reality”

With remarks by Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller

  • Nico Kienzl, Director, Atelier Ten
  • Lauren Brust Moss, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Vornado Realty Trust
  • Jamie Statter, Senior Advisor for Climate, NYC Comptroller’s Office
  • Paulina Tarrant, Net Zero Engagement Manager, Science Based Targets initiative
  • Korinti Recalde (Moderator), Senior Director, Environmental, Social & Governance, Carrier

Session 2

“Sustainable conversion: commercial to residential”

With remarks by Dan Garodnick, Chairman, City Planning Commission and Director, NYC Dept. of City Planning

  • Christopher Colasanti, Associate Partner, JB&B
  • Dan Kaplan, Senior Partner, FXCollaborative
  • Yasemin Kologlu, Principal, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
  • Sara Kendall (Moderator), Vice President & General Manager, Turner Construction

Session 3

“Resiliency actions for all-electric buildings”

  • Fiona Cousins, Chair, Americas Region, Arup
  • Brenda Dix, Director, Climate Resilience, ICF
  • Erika Jozwiak, Senior Program Manager, Infrastructure, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
  • Susanne DesRoches  (Moderator), Vice President, Clean and Resilient Buildings, NYSERDA

Sponsors

Carrier
Lead Sponsor
Equinor
Supporting Sponsor
NYU
Host

Outreach partners

AIA Staten Island
Building Energy Exchange
NESEA
NY Passive House
NYC Accelerator
NYCOBA | NOMA

Passive House Accelerator
Passive House Network
SEAoNY
Soulful Synergy
USGBC Long Island

Smoke signals from New York City

On June 8, 2023, building practitioners gathered at NYU for our 2023 conference, NYC Next: Trends for a Changing City.

arrow_clover

Conference

Urban Green's annual conference brings together experts and leaders from all corners of green building.

arrow_clover

Related press