NYC Gazette

Last week, Brooklyn Borough Hall hosted a Sustainable Cities Summit as part of the 2024 Climate Week NYC. The event brought together leaders from business, climate sectors, and government to discuss sustainable urban development. Presentations and panels covered topics such as freight solutions, congestion pricing, net-zero schools, and low-carbon construction.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso co-hosted the summit with Sidara brands TYLin, Introba, Perkins&Will, Currie & Brown, and Climate Group. He emphasized the urgency of sustainability in urban planning: “Becoming a sustainable city isn’t a choice nor should it be a luxury – it’s both an imperative and a responsibility.”

Michael Shamma from TYLin stressed the importance of timely action: “With only 9,000 days left until our world needs to achieve net zero, we don’t have the luxury of time.”

Pia Engel-Moss from Introba spoke about turning climate goals into actions: “The pathway to decarbonization is full of opportunities to make a lasting impact.”

Mark Wartenberg from Currie & Brown highlighted the significance of data centers in sustainability discussions: “Data centers are increasingly critical to our digital infrastructure... We understand how important it is to have these conversations center stage at key events like NYC Climate Week.”

Jason F. McLennan from Perkins&Will advocated for regenerative urban design: “Beyond mere ‘sustainability,’ the time is now to be taking bolder action toward ‘regeneration.’”

The summit featured various panels and presentations addressing urban environmental challenges:

- "Delivering Change: Accelerating Sustainable Freight Solutions in Urban Environment," moderated by Catherine Ittner.

- "Navigating the Road Ahead: The Future of Congestion Pricing in New York City," moderated by Mike Flynn.

- "The Road to Net Zero: Tackling Emissions from Citywide Planning to Building Design," moderated by Michael A. Shamma.

Presentations included topics such as large building stock sustainability solutions by Introba and low-carbon construction using mass timber by TYLin.