Doubling down on urbanism: An abundance approach to US decarbonization - Climate Week 2025
Hosted by Gehl, World Resources Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute
The current political landscape has led many to question the viability of climate action in the US. But what if the best tool we have is right in our back yards? As US energy policy lurches backwards, climate leaders need a new approach — and it turns out, there’s one that’s already working across the country and it’s controlled by local, not national, policy. This session will discuss the potential for the pro-housing strategy of the Abundance and YIMBY movements to serve as a critical path forward for US decarbonization.
At New York Climate Week 2024, Gehl, RMI and WRI laid out a challenge to the climate community: consider how “climate-aligned urbanism” can be a powerful strategy to reduce emissions, on par with the scale of electrification and clean power. This challenge came with calls to action for urban planners, policymakers, and designers to enable lower-emissions neighborhoods that support a thriving, abundant life for all. In the year since, the world has been rocked by the US’s retreat on climate and the “abundance agenda” has emerged as a new third way to address both affordability and climate at a more local scale, potentially avoiding the climate culture war unfolding at the national level. We will take a look at climate-aligned urbanism through the abundance lens, revisiting the urgent analysis spearheaded by World Resources Institute and RMI, and diving into the urban design and behavioral enablers being implemented globally by Gehl. How can we chart a non-partisan path that focuses on local problem solving, while working at scale to make a difference? We’ll hear from policymakers, electeds and builders on the front lines, implementing a new kind of city that provides more of the life we want — and the climate solutions we need.
4:00-4:30pm - The carbon in our back yards: An urbanist approach to reducing energy demand
Ben Holland, World Resources Institute
Jackie Lombardi, World Resources Institute
Blaine Merker, Gehl
Rushad Nanavatty, Rocky Mountain Institute and Third Derivative
4:30-5:45pm - Panel discussion: Which way towards abundance?
Kristina Costa, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, University of Chicago
Annemarie Gray, Open New York
Matthew Lewis, California YIMBY
Andrew Salzberg, Climate Imperative
Clay Stranger, Sequoia Climate Foundation
6:30-8pm - Climate leaders reception at Kyu
Seating is limited and registration does not guarantee entry once event reaches capacity. Please make sure to arrive on time to ensure seating.