BOSTON’S ‘URBAN METABOLISM’ – WHAT KEEPS THE CITY ALIVE AND GROWING

Every city has a metabolism. There are nodes of activity that drive the economy and constitute the hubs of daily life for the residents and workers. These nodes are connected by complex circulation systems through which resources and people move, flowing and ebbing with the time of day and the seasons. Below ground, at the surface, and in the air are tangible and ethereal networks that transmit energy and information all around. Together this metabolism determines the health and resiliency of a neighborhood, the city, and the surrounding region.

To celebrate the One Year Anniversary of the Boston-Netherlands Best Practices Exchange and the finals of the Wetskills Water Challenges, an innovative approach of real-life learning and networking for International Young Professionals and students in the water sector, an interdisciplinary workshop is being organized to delve into Boston’s “Urban Metabolism.” The event includes a set of plenary educational panels in the morning focusing on the community, city, and regional scale. The afternoon will feature interactive workshops where local and visiting experts, students, young professionals and others explore how to constructively shape the metabolism of Greater Boston towards the future.

Preliminary program – June 23 2016

8:30am       Coffee & Tea

9:00am        Welcome by Ambassador Henne Schuwer, Netherlands Embassy

9:15am        “Urban Metabolism: What Makes a City Tick”

9:45am        Presentations on local cases from Boston and Greater Boston area

1 Massport Vulnerability Assessment

10:10am     Coffee break

10:25am     Presentations on local cases from Boston and Greater Boston area:

2 Climate Ready Boston
3 East Boston

11:30am     Final presentations by the Wetskills Water Challenge Teams

12:15pm     Lunch & Poster Presentation Wetskills Teams

1:30pm       Wetskills Water Challenge – Winner Announcement

1:45pm       Interactive Workshop Sessions:

Part 1. East Boston

Part 2. Seaport District

4:30pm       Closing Discussion

5:00pm       Reception