About
The Urban Systems Symposium offers the opportunity for academic scholars, planners, policymakers, and innovators to explore the multifaceted nature of the urban environment. It is a venue where we will examine the intricate web of relationships, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping our cities.
Cities are ecosystems shaped by layers of infrastructure, social networks, economic forces, and ecological environments. In this context, urban systems are best understood as interconnected and evolving networks that require integrated solutions across disciplines.
What distinguishes cities from the non-urban world is the tractable role of governance. In that sense, cities are shaped by a diverse but perhaps easier to track array of factors: political agendas, historical legacies, technological advancements, and the challenges of an ever-growing population. This makes urban systems unique from the point of view of decision implementation, but also in their potential to create profound impact—both positive and negative—on the lives of billions of people.
At this symposium, we will delve into how cities operate as complex systems, exploring the intersections between people, technology, and the environment. We’ll explore questions such as: How can we design urban spaces that are livable and resilient? What role do information and technology play in optimizing city services? How well can we model the interaction of physical, natural, and human systems? How can cities offer the opportunity to design for equity?
Please see the details below on abstract submission and oral presentations.
Venue
Venue: New York University Campus (40 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012, USA)
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Sessions
A. Climate Resilience Cities
Moderator: George Thurston, Professor, NYU School of Medicine
B. Health & Urban Wellbeing
Moderator: Jo Ivey Boufford, Professor, NYU School of Global Public Health
C. Law, Governance, & Policy for Urban Sustainability
Moderator: Katrina Wyman, Professor, NYU Law School
D. Designing the Future City
Moderator: Mitchell Joachim, Professor, NYU Gallatin
E. Housing
Moderator: Jenna Dyer, Analyst, NYC Office of Management and Budget
F. Place-Based Innovation
Moderator: Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri, Executive Director, CIV:LAB
Confirmed Speakers
The detailed schedule will be posted on September 4th.
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Moderator
Jo Ivey Boufford
Clinical Professor of Global Health
New York University, School of Global Public Health
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Moderator
Katrina Wyman
Professor of Property Law
New York University, School of Law
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Chair
Masoud Ghandehari
Professor
New York University, Tandon School of Engineering
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Moderator
Mitchell Joachim
Professor of Practice
New York University, School of Individualized Study
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Moderator
Jenna Dyer
Analyst
New York City, Mayor's Office of Management and Budget
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Moderator
Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri
Founder & Executive Director
CIV:LAB
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Moderator
George Thurston
Professor of Medicine and Population Health
New York University, School of Medicine
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Alex Azan
Assistant Professor
New York University, School of Medicine
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Ana Baptista
Associate Professor of Environmental and Climate Justice
The New School, Parsons School of Design
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Christine Billy
Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law
New York University, School of Law
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Kiera Bloch
Program Manager
New York University, School of Global Public Health
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Michelle Chan
Co-Executive Director
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
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Eran Chen
Founder & Executive Director
ODA Architecture
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Ingrid Gould Ellen
Professor of Urban Policy and Planning
New York University, Graduate School of Public Service
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Melanie Fessel
Principal
TerreformX
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María Ángeles Huete García
Associate Professor
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Sociology
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Snigdha Garg
Head of Adaptation Research and Performance
C40
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Moses Gates
Vice President
Regional Plan Association, Housing and Neighborhood Planning
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Oriol Gavaldà
Manager
Concordia University, Decarbonization Initiatives
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Lydia Kallipoliti
Associate Professor
Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
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Emma Lecavalier
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Oxford, School of Government
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Nathaniel Mattison
Senior Fellow
New York University, School of Law, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law
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Maya Moussallieh
Researcher
University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture
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Marcel Negret
Director
Regional Plan Association, Land Use
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Yoko Nogami
Graduate Student
New York University, School of Global Public Health
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Lidia Ratoi
Assistant Professor
University of Hong Kong
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Jose Siri
HCx Global
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Brian A. Smith
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Columbia University
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Sherry Aine Te
Project Manager
New York City, Economic Development Corporation
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James Tiburcio
Research Fellow
University of São Paulo, Institute of Advanced Studies
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Anthony Townsend
Senior Research Associate
Cornell Tech, Urban Tech Hub
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Alaina Turnquist
Data and GIS Manager
Pratt Institute, Center for Community Development
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Pia Wackler
Research Assistant
Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden, Department of Electrical Engineering, Media and Computer Science
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Jason Whittet
Director of Business Development
KPMG
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Mark Yarish
Adjunct Instructor
New York University, Center for Global Affairs
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Wuyue Yu
Postdoctoral Researcher
New York University, School of Global Public Health
Registration
Registration fees
General Admission: $95.00
Student Admission: $65.00
Registration will be processed until capacity is reached.
Submit Abstract
Submit a 150-word abstract using the link above (one submission per corresponding author).
The submission will be reviewed for its level of fit with the symposium’s emphasis. You will then receive the template for submission of a 3-page manuscript. The manuscript will be incorporated in the symposium booklet.
Submissions will be processed on a rolling basis until capacity is reached. Please note that September 1st will be the deadline for final manuscript submission.
The corresponding author will present the work at the symposium at one of the above sessions. Each presentation will be 5 minutes, followed by QA, then a moderated discussion at the end of each session.
Organization
Symposium Chair
Masoud Ghandehari, Professor, NYU School of Engineering
Steering Committee
Jo Ivey Boufford, Professor, NYU School of Global Public Health
Katrina Wyman, Professor, NYU Law School
Mitchell Joachim, Professor, NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Allison Taylor, Associate Professor, NYU Stern School of Business
George Thurston, Professor, NYU School of Medicine
Contact
Sohei Yamada, Symposium Secretary, admin@urbansystems.org