TRACK 1, DAY 1
Rising Tides: Navigating the Future of New York City’s Water Resources
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Hall A
ABSTRACT
New York City is a city shaped by water. It is a quintessential part of every aspect of life in the city, from commerce to recreation, identity, and extreme risk. Yet, historically, watershed management has focused on protecting the upstream drinking water supply system, with very little protection of the natural hydrologic cycle in the five boroughs.
NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection is the largest utility in the United States, delivering clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, reducing air, noise and hazardous materials pollution, and most recently, took on the gigantic task of coastal resilience for its 837 kilometers (520 miles) of coastline.
How does a megacity learn from its past and infuse integrated resilience planning, adaptive management and equity into choices today that lead to a more vibrant, thriving, healthy, and resilient city in the future?
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Laurian Farrell, New York City
As Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Coastal Resilience, Laurian leads the coastal resilience planning, engineering and operations for New York City’s 520 mile shoreline.
Laurian has worked in the private, public and philanthropic sectors for 24 years, is a water resources engineer, has a master’s degree in landscape architecture, and centers equity in her practice.
She spent 12 years at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) leading the Flood Management & Infrastructure program and also led the City of Brampton’s Environment department for three years.
Laurian moved to the United States in 2019 to join the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities and subsequently, the Resilient Cities Network, where she developed a deep, international understanding of the challenges facing ultra-urban coastal cities.