Climate Change and Health in the Gulf South
Green Infrastructure, Food Systems, and Building Climate Resilience in New Orleans
Thursday, October 10, 2024
The food, agriculture, and land use sectors are crucial in addressing climate change. Integrating green infrastructure into urban environments can reduce heat island effects, mitigate catastrophic weather events, and help remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Including food-productive strategies in green infrastructure projects can improve fresh food access, foster community vitality, and connection, and provide innovative educational and research opportunities for organizations and institutions.
How can New Orleans address the negative impacts of climate change while fostering a thriving local and regional food system and more equitable access to local, healthy, and sustainably grown food?
The goals of the symposium are to:
- Highlight current green infrastructure projects, policies, and plans in New Orleans, the Central Business District, and other neighborhoods demonstrating climate mitigation and city farming strategies.
- Identify local, non-commercial food growing projects and sustainable market pathways for fresh products that reach residents and consumers in urban environments.
- Facilitate conversations between institutions, organizations, and government agencies about the next steps to incorporate food-productive and non-food-productive green infrastructure into the Greater New Orleans region.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, October 10
10:00 – 11:30 AM Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans Green Roof Tour
Join us for a guided tour of New Orleans' only green/blue roof!
SWBNO's Landscape Architect will discuss the planning, installation, and maintenance of this innovative demonstration project.
Register soon, space is limited!
1:30- 5:00 PM Speakers & Discussion, Diboll Auditorium
1:30-2:00 – Registration and mingling
2:00-2:20 – Welcome with Dean LaVeist and Catherine Sckerl
2:20-2:30 - Dr. Diego Rose - Food, Health & Climate and introduction to speakers
2:30- 3:15 – Speakers Presentations
- Tyler Antrup, Visiting Assistant Professor, Tulane School of Architecture -Broader perspective on green infrastructure in New Orleans
- Susannah Burley, Executive Director, Sustaining Our Urban Landscapes (SOUL) - New Orleans Reforestation Plan and Strategies for the CBD
- Riley Essert, Youth & Environmental Programs Manager - Groundworks New Orleans - Using data and historical context to identify green infrastructure needs
- Catherine Sckerl, AIA, AICP, Professor of Practice in Architecture, Managing, Director of Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, Tulane School of Architecture
- Mina Speck, Community Food Director - Sprout NOLA - Food production and local food access in the age of climate change
- Michael Richard II, Farm Director – Recirculating Farms - Rooftop farm and innovative growing initiatives in New Orleans
3:15-3:45 – Q & A with speakers
4:00-5:00 – Keynote Speaker: Dr. Fiona Yuedall from Toronto Metropolitan University's Centre for Food Studies Living Lab Urban Farm
5:00- 7:00 Reception & Networking, Diboll Gallery
Friday, October 11
10:00-11:30 AM Design Dialogue: Exploring Green Infrastructure
- For full information and registration, visit this link.
- Join us at the Tulane School of Architecture’s Downtown Campus at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) for an interactive discussion to move our ideas to action
Symposium Sponsorship
This event is part of the Climate Change & Health in The Gulf South symposium series. The symposium is sponsored by the Tulane University Cecelia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Nutrition Program and Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Tulane School of Architecture - with support by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Higher Education Challenge, and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Training Program.
