New York City’s waterways are special places for city residents, playing a crucial role in city life, and with the threats of climate change, it is important for those in the region to become more aware of the issues facing the city’s waterfront. On May 24th, join a group of policymakers, waterfront advocates, journalists, and academics, as well as professionals from a variety of fields, to discuss the issues and innovative solutions surrounding New York City’s waterfront at the 15th annual 2022 Waterfront Conference. Untapped New York is proud to be a media sponsor of this year’s conference, and our founder Michelle Young will be moderating a panel. This year’s theme is “Meet the Moment: Building a Livable Future.”
The Waterfront Alliance’s annual Waterfront Conference is the region’s premier forum that explores the challenges of and solutions to climate change, analyzing how to sustain a healthy maritime industry, open-space environment, and regional economy. It also explores ways to achieve equitable access to the region’s waterfronts and shared waterways. According to the conference announcement, “as actions are globally undertaken to limit the scale of climate change, greater attention must be paid to redesigning communities, enhancing their ability both to adapt to conditions that are becoming a ‘new normal’ and to recover from climate impacts in a resilient manner.”
This year, Untapped New York founder Michelle Young will moderate the panel “Swimming and Public Access for the 21st-Century Urban Waterfront – Reclaiming Waterfronts for Recreation.” Michelle will moderate alongside Noelle A. Thurlow, Director of Resilience Adventures, and Capri Djatiasmoro, Marathon Swim Evens Director at CIBBOWS.
According to the event posting, “Innovative design, masterful engineering, and improved water quality are driving interest in floating structures and urban renewal projects that increase waterfront access. Paris launched a floating pool in the Seine and eco-friendly floating homes dot the waterfront in Amsterdam, yet limits to local access still persist in our region and innovative projects are largely driven by private development. This panel discusses the trend, with leaders in design and community development who envision active places of nature, recreation, and play along waterfronts.” The event will take place on May 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
This year’s conference will feature programming such as “Opportunity Now—Responding to the Climate Emergency,” a featured talk by Christian Braneon, Co-Director of the Environmental Justice & Climate Just Cities Network at The Earth Institute, “A Blueprint to Rebuild America: Adaptation, Infrastructure, and Spending,” “Climate Shoreline Design for All Communities — The Edge Beyond Manhattan,” and “Climate Grief and Climate Anxiety – What Is It and How to Cope with It?” The full list of speakers can be found here.
The 2022 Waterfront Conference will take place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, located at 36 Battery Place in Manhattan. If you are an Untapped New York Insider, you can attend for free (limited tickets) or get a discount. Become an Insider today and get your first month free with code JOINUS!
2022 Waterfront Conference
Next, discover NYC’s forgotten waterfront at the Harlem River!
