July 10th, 2024
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Stantec
475 Fifth Avenue 7th floor, New York, NY, USA
Ben Kleinbaum is a Section Manager at Con Edison. He leads a team focused on policy and engagement for the Company’s programs that help customers electrify their buildings and perform energy efficiency upgrades. Prior to joining Con Edison he worked as a New York City-based government relations consultant.
Gita Nandan is an architect, designer, educator, and leader in community resilience planning and design. She is co-founder of thread collective, an award winning multidisciplinary studio with a focus on creating productive and optimistic environments. Her work is at the nexus of where design meets the ecology of place, and future proofing communities, driven by finding creative solutions to complex problems; weaving social justice with the built-environment. Projects include the first resilient power hubs in NYC, ecological field stations, energy-plus buildings, adaptive reuse of a variety of structural typologies.
Trevor Reynolds, P.E. is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Equinor working on the Empire Wind 1 project. He joined Equinor after nearly a decade in consulting engineering, with prior experience in projects across several sectors, including aviation, cultural, higher education, and high-rise commercial and residential development.
Youngjin Song is an urban planner, designer, and educator focusing on interdisciplinary research and practices through the lenses of social practice, architecture, urbanism, and public art. Currently at ONE, she is the assistant project manager for the Climate Strong Communities project, a climate resilience planning study for six neighborhoods in New York City, and the project manager for Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) Market Potential Study. As an Adjunct Faculty member at the interior architecture department at the Rhode Island School of Design, Youngjin has taught a series of exhibition design option studios that cover topics in urbanism and public spaces.
Anika Wistar-Jones is the Managing Director of the Here Comes Solar program at Solar One, an NYC-based environmental education non-profit. Anika leads a team that provides free technical assistance for affordable housing and low-income communities to facilitate the adoption of solar throughout New York City. Anika has supported hundreds of affordable housing properties to install solar using a variety of financing strategies, and has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and solutions to make solar accessible in hard-to-reach markets.
Join us for a roundtable discussion on building clean energy in our neighborhoods with Ben Kleinbaum, Gita Nandan, Trevor Reynolds, Youngjin Song and Anika Wistar-Jones.
Transitioning New York’s energy production is critical to meeting the city’s ambitious goal for a zero-emission electricity grid by 2040. In 2022, renewable energy in solar, hydroelectric, nuclear and offshore wind accounted for a third of all power generation in the state. From turbine to toaster, we must ensure that all New Yorkers build deeper knowledge and ownership of future clean energy infrastructure.
We will discuss new opportunities for clean energy projects with Ben Kleinbaum, Gita Nandan, Trevor Reynolds, Youngjin Song and Anika Wistar-Jones. Following presentations, we will invite responses from attendees.
How can we shape deeper engagement between New Yorkers and the creation of clean energy in New York City neighborhoods?
Guest & Accessibility Policies
Urban Design Forum promotes conversations between invited civic leaders, designers, developers, and advocates. This event is open to Forum Fellows and their guests. Fellows can RSVP through this link.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully.
- The venue will have an entrance and elevators that are ADA-accessible.
- This event will have microphones and speakers.
- If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. Face masks are encouraged, particularly if you have been recently exposed to colds, flus, or other illness. If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, a high-quality, well-fitting face covering is required at all times.
- Please refrain from wearing strong fragrances to accommodate guests with allergies or environmental sensitivities.
- If you have additional needs, we will do our best to accommodate. Please contact rsvp@urbandesignforum.org.
About Rewire
Our 2024 Next New York initiative, Rewire, explores how we can reshape the existing city to build climate-positive neighborhoods. Through public programs and working groups, Fellows will advance ideas to adapt existing buildings and public spaces to reduce carbon and protect from climate impacts.
Rewire is made possible with lead support from Stantec and the continued support of our Board of Directors, Director’s Circle, and company and individual members. Special thanks to Thornton Tomasetti for hosting our working group meetings. Our programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
To learn more about supporting Rewire, please contact Miranda Bellizia, miranda@urbandesignform.org.
Image credit: EY418 CC BY-SA 4.0
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