Hannah Teicher

Inclusionary Adaptation? Notes on the future of the climate refuge

The concept of the climate refuge has been widely contested, with many arguing that it does more harm than good. However, in policy circles there is growing recognition of the potential for a productive version of the refuge which builds bridges between climate migration and immigrant integration. In addition, in one of the few U.S. cities to deem itself a prospective climate refuge, the potential for the concept to serve as premise for adaptation appears in the official framing. This has not been rolled out institutionally, but community-led initiatives point the way toward operating at the nexus of adaptation and integration, developing a form of inclusionary adaptation. This potential transcends common criticisms that the refuge either offers the false promise of an escape hatch or undermines adaptation, but still faces persistent limitations to inclusive, sustainable development. Situated at the nexus of contemporary urban challenges, the climate refuge city offers a proving ground for developing the integrated responses that urban governance in an era of intersecting crises demands.

Hannah Teicher is an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Her research is broadly concerned with how adaptation to climate change is shaping urban transformations across scales. She co-chairs the Welcoming Communities Work Group for the Climigration Network. In her work on collaborations, she is conducting research with an interdisciplinary multi-university team to understand how adaptation solutions can be co-produced in regions with extensive urban/military interdependence. She has published her research in journals including Climate Policy, the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, Urban Climate, and the Journal of Planning Education and Research. She holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from MIT, a Master of Architecture from UBC, and a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Swarthmore College.

Light refreshments will be served. This event is open to Columbia University affiliates with a valid university ID. Any questions on the events can be directed Diana Guo, dg3372@columbia.edu; Vinita Govindarajan, vg2588@columbia.edu; Mauricio Enrique Rada Orellana, mer2245@columbia.edu

The Lecture in Planning Series (LiPS) is co-organized by the MSUP Program and second-year PhD students in Urban Planning: Vinita Govindarajan, Diana Guo, and Mauricio Rada Orellana.