MPC Roundtable—Building Resilience: Mega-storms, Mega-regions, Mega-plans

Against a backdrop of global population growth and urbanization, the recent National Climate Assessment made clear that extreme weather events—heat waves, drought, tropical storms, high winds, storm surges and heavy downpours—are becoming more severe and substantially affecting the safety, health and economy of entire communities. Events like Hurricane Sandy and northeastern Illinois’ own flooding in 2011 and 2013 have made it clear that we remain vulnerable in spite of advances in disaster preparedness.
This MPC roundtable will offer insight into the two biggest resiliency planning efforts to date—post-Katrina New Orleans and post-Sandy New York and New Jersey—featuring the thought leaders behind those planning processes. These projects combine improved ecological systems with community benefits that include expanded public park space and enhanced neighborhood livability and mobility. Then they’ll bring the issue home, offering advice for the Chicago region.
Speakers include:
Kobi Ruthenberg, Design Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Advanced Urbanism (one of six Rebuild by Design winners)
David Waggonner, Principal, Waggonner & Ball Architects