Climate Proof Cities

Helping cities avoid climate-related conflicts through international collaboration on urban resilience planning.

Recently Università Iuav di Venezia and the Drexel University of Philadelphia started a mutual collaboration under the umbrella of Erasmus + program on Climate Proof Cities (2015-2017).

The combination of competences in urban design, environmental planning and ecology provided by Iuav and environmental engineering by Drexel, provided a proper background to start a common program of research and applied experiences to increase resilience in urban areas and counteracting climate change in planning processes also to prevent conflicts potentially generated by new climate scenarios.

In particular coastal cities – as Venice and Philadelphia – are very vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards. These threats have consequences and impacts on lives and livelihoods of coastal cities communities, on their infrastructures, economy and governments. Thus, to avoid emergences and disaster situations it is important to rethink coastal cities as “coastal resilient cities”, through a comprehensive and site-specific strategy for urban development in a climate changes adaptation perspective.

The seminar – supported by Drexel University, Office of International Programs and promoted by the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia – will present the state of art of research and practice related with climate resilience planning, taking into consideration European and US experiences, with special attention to Venice, Philadelphia and Washinghton DC.

for more information

climatechange@iuav.it