A Virtual Conference sponsored by UN-Habitat, CSU and the AIA New York Chapter
May 12, 2021 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST
AIA CES: 3.0 LU | HSW Credits Pending
The onslaught of the pandemic has left in its wake a worldwide wave of despair and death. It has also transformed the world. Despite the pandemic worldwide urbanization will continue, particularly in the developing world. The promise of wealth creation, innovation, creativity and culture will continue to act as a magnet for cities.
The year 2020 showed that in a crisis many ingrained habits of mind can be put aside. A spirit of can-do and why not has made the impossible possible. As former President of Ireland and High Commissioner of Human Rights United Nations Mary Robinson so aptly put it, this pandemic has proven three things: health matters, science matters and government matters.
The conference consists of a plenary session and three panels focusing on health, science and government. The panelists will examine the residue of the pandemic on the cities of today and world of tomorrow and address the question of where to from here? A range of speakers from the United Nations, public health, science, governance and the design professions includes: Dr. Chris Williams, Director, UN-Habitat, New York Office H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President, UN General Assembly (tbc) H.E. Ms.Maimuna Shariff, UN Under Secretary General & Executive Director, UN-HABITAT Mr. Peter Exley, FAIA, President, American Institute of Architects Mr. Kenneth Lewis, FAIA, President, American Institute of Architects New York Chapter Mr. Edward Mazria, FAIA, Founder of Architecture 2030 & 2021 AIA Gold Medal Prof. Ashish Jha, Dean of School of Public Health, Brown University Prof. Mary Bassett, Director, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University Prof. Robert Socolow, Co-Director, Carbon Mitigation Initiative, Princeton University Mr. David Malakoff, Deputy News Editor, Science Magazine Prof. Anu Ramaswami, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University Ms. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Former Director, UN-Habitat, New York Office H.E. Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Canada, United Cities & Local Governments H. E. Mr. Michal Mlynar, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN