Sea Level Con Program

Sea Level Rise and the Future of Coastal Cities examined how cities are planning for and adapting to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and changing coastlines. This two-day event, co-hosted by the Initiative on Cities and the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, brought together mayors, scientists, city officials, urban planners, and developers to discuss the known and emerging threats. Speakers and panelists examined the remedies and pioneering actions that can protect the future livability and sustainability of coastal cities.

To share these critical discussions between businesses, cities, and academia, we have posted below recorded coverage of our speakers and panelists, as well as their presentations.

If you would like to review the raw feed of the City Leadership Summit, please click here.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Mayors’ Roundtable: A Discussion with Elected Officials from Leading Coastal Cities

Moderator:
· Bob Oakes, Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Roundtable:
· Christian Bollwage, Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey
· Arron Wood, City Councillor, Melbourne, Australia
· Brian Swett, Chief of Environment, Energy & Open Space, City of Boston

View WBUR report and audio feed

Friday, November 14, 2014

Welcoming Remarks:

· Professor Graham Wilson, Co-director, Initiative on Cities
· President Robert A. Brown, Boston University
· Beth Daley, Reporter, New England Center for Investigative Journalism [Conference MC]

Morning Keynote: “Climate Change and Its Impacts in Today’s World – and Prospects for the Future”

· Professor Anthony Janetos, Director, Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future
          View Presentation

Panel Session 1: The Science of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

Moderator:
· Nathan Phillips, Professor of Earth & Environment, Boston University

Panelists:
· Josh Willis, Project Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
· Erika Spanger-Siegfried, Senior Analyst, Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists
          View Presentation • View Video
· Scott Doney, Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
          View Presentation

Mid-day Keynote: “The Fall and Rise, and Future, of Boston Harbor”

· Judge Richard Stearns, US District Court, District of Massachusetts

Panel Session 2: How the Public Sector Is Adapting to Rising Seas and Shifting Coastlines

Moderator:
· Daniel Bluestone, Director of Preservation Studies, Boston University

Panelists:
· Brian Swett, Chief of Environment, Energy & Open Space, City of Boston
          View Presentation
· David Uschold, Historical Landscape Architect, US National Park Service
          View Presentation
· Maria Jaakkola, Head of the Environmental Office, City Planning Department, Helsinki, Finland
          View Presentation
· Giovanni Cecconi, Chief Executive, Consorzio Venezia Nuova, Venice, Italy
          View Presentation • View Video

Panel Session 3: Design Innovations and Risk Mitigation Strategies from the Private Sector

Moderator:
· Paul McManus, Senior Lecturer, Strategy & Innovation, Boston University School of Management

Panelists:
· Bryan Koop, Senior Vice President and Boston Region Manager, Boston Properties
          View Presentation
· Jason Hellendrung, Principal, Sasaki Associates
          View Presentation
· Lindene Patton, Head of Global Hazard Product Portfolio and Business Development for CoreLogic
          View Presentation

Afternoon Keynote: “Rising Seas and the Rising Need for Collaboration Between Academia, NGOs, and Public Agencies”

· Bud Ris, Former President and CEO, The New England Aquarium
           View Presentation

Panel Session 4: Innovations in Research Collaborations

Moderator:
· Lucy Hutyra, Assistant Professor, Earth & Environment, Boston University

Panelists:
· Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research, Boston University
· Joan Fitzgerald, Professor of Urban and Public Policy, Northeastern University
          View Presentation
· Andrew Rosenberg, Director, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists
          View Presentation

Closing Summary:

· David Abel, The Boston Globe