Free Climate Adaptation Tools Workshop Set for Jan. 14

On Jan. 14, U.S. and Dutch experts in planning and design will meet for a free public workshop on tools and techniques for climate adaptation.

The morning program, which will take place from 8:30 to noon, at Montclair State University in New Jersey, features Justine Shapiro Klein, a planning expert from WXY Architecture + Urban Design, as well as forecasting specialists from Rutgers and Montclair State and Deltares USA, a flood defense expert, and presentations by U.S. and Dutch experts involved in planning, design and engineering.

"Greater resilience requires more interdisciplinary and sustained planning for communities at risk," says the group in a statement. "Now, more than three years into the process of redevelopment following Superstorm Sandy, there is both a need to share lessons learned from these events as well to keep learning from other places.

“As a society, we need reliable forecasting tools to show us what the future may hold. As citizens, we need visualization tools so that we can see what our communities will look like. As professionals, we need scenario planning and technical tools so that we can better understand performance characteristics as well as interconnections. As policymakers, we need economic tools to help us understand the costs and benefits of certain actions or inaction. As a civilization, we need design and development tools that can help us build and grow in physical ways that are more resilient to the stresses and risks we face. We have some tools already, but we know we need more.”

Tools for adaptation to be discussed in the free public presentation include technologies adapted for:

  1. Forecasting severe weather
  2. Visualization of community impacts
  3. Scenario planning and technical performance of protections
  4. Economic impacts (to assist policymakers)
  5. Design & development of new infrastructure, communities and buildings.

The program, hosted by the Passaic River Institute and the Consulate of the Netherlands, takes place at Montclair State University's Center for Environmental & Life Sciences, room 120. Breakfast will be served.

For more information, contact Carter Craft at [email protected].

Featured

  • Allegion US Partners with Two Colleges for Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US recently announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campus-wide, according to a news release. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.

  • Abstract colorful arrows in front of a contemporary university building

    Spaces4Learning 2025 Trends in Higher Education

    With 2025 well underway, it’s time to take a look at some broader trends submitted by you, our Spaces4Learning readership. We asked for your thoughts on topics like classroom design, health & safety, materials & construction, and technology in both K–12 and higher-education environments. Below is a roundup of 2025 trends in higher education from the experts in the trenches.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • Fort Collins to Convert 1980s Office Park into Junior High School

    The Liberty Common School, a charter-public school in Fort Collins, Colo., recently broke ground on an adaptive reuse project that will convert an 1980s-era office park into a 45,000-square-foot junior high school for seventh- and eighth-grade students, according to a news release.

Digital Edition