(Wednesday October 20, 2021 (Oliver Sellers-Garcia slides, Dodge slides, video)

In the United States 4 of 5 people live in metropolitan areas. Many of these cities are experiencing extreme climate impacts and looking for ways to meet their responsibilities in a more resilient and equitable way.   What are cities and institutions doing and is it enough?

Two alumni working on such urban solutions and programs presented their stories.

Oliver Sellers-Garcia MCP ’06, Sustainability and Environment Director for Somerville, MA, described how his city of 81,000+ residents moves toward the 2050 Net Zero carbon emissions goal of its climate action plan (Somerville Climate Forward). Somerville, located in the inner core of the Boston urban area, is the densest city in New England. Other recent initiatives, centered on equity and community education and outreach, include municipal and residential energy efficiency, greenhouse gas accounting and modeling, solid waste reduction, regional resilience planning, and expanded building and vehicle electrification choices (SustainaVille).

Anne Dodge MCP ’06 provided a perspective that looks across multiple cities. As Executive Director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, University of Chicago, her cross-sectoral work with data and theory about urban environments and processes seeks research-based scalable solutions to address the most complex questions facing cities across the world.

Bios:

Oliver Sellers-Garcia

MCP '06 directs the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) in Somerville, Massachusetts  where he is responsible for sustainability of municipal operations and policy, programs, and long-range planning for the community.  He leads initiatives on climate, resource conservation, and environmental protection.   Prior to joining the City of Somerville, he managed projects for local governments, and state and agencies at the environmental consulting firm CDM Smith. He helped clients around the country and the world integrate sustainability and climate change into physical and organizational planning. Sellers-Garcia is certified as a LEED AP and also holds a certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners and Bachelor's degrees in Urban Studies and French from Columbia University. Oliver is moving to a Resiliency Position at the MBTA in November 2021.

igner with 7 years of experience in higher education and 20 years of experience working at the intersection of culture, arts and economic development across sectors. As Executive Director of the Manueto Institute for Urban Innovation at the University of Chicago, her work advances research into the fundamental processes that drive and sustain cities, creating an evidence base for scalable change. Anne has also worked at the National Public Housing Museum, the Driehaus and Donnelley Foundations, Local Initiative Support Coalition (LISC) NYC, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Fannie Mae Foundation. She is also a writer and storyteller who works in digital media. She received her BA from Harvard University with a joint concentration in Visual and Environmental Studies and History.