Ready, Set, Retrofit: How flexible interventions in public space can be a bridge to long-term climate action
Join us to explore how Toronto and other cities across North America are embracing "planning by doing"—using quick, lower-cost, and flexible interventions to transform underused spaces into greener and more inclusive places, meeting community needs and furthering climate action.
From interim community hubs on development sites to pop-up cooling stations and playspaces on pedestrianized streets, we will examine how these projects can provide immediate benefits and an opportunity to test new approaches as a bridge to permanent change.
We will focus our discussion on what types of interventions cities have found success with and how cities are updating policies, changing processes, and creating new partnerships to bypass bottlenecks - with innovations such as streamlined permitting, pre-approved designs, and new models of collaboration.
Confirmed speakers:
Sarah Phipps, Downsview Project Director, City of Toronto
Isabelle Thomas, Policy Advisor on the Living Streets and Public Spaces Team, NYC Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice
John Baker, Senior Advisor Waterfront Design and Activation, Waterfront Toronto
Ilana Altman, Chief Executive Officer, The Bentway
Amy Buitenhuis, Senior Manager, Urban Heat, C40
Michael O’Neill, Project Manager Green & Thriving Neighbourhoods, C40
Agenda
5:00 PM — Refreshments, networking
5:30 PM — Welcome & panel discussion
6:30 PM — Closing remarks and networking
Hosted by C40 Cities in collaboration with Arup.
C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating in line with the Paris Agreement and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities.
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Working in more than 140 countries, the firm’s designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants and technical specialists work with our clients on innovative projects of the highest quality and impact.
Arup has worked with C40 since 2009 to develop strategic analysis and research that is central to progressing our understanding of how cities contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The partnership supports a strong analytical research agenda while helping city actors to identify opportunities, collaborate and develop deliverable solutions to accelerate and expand action on climate change.
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