The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly

 

On Sunday, November 17, 2019, at the Queens Museum, “The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly” gathered a wide array of advocates, organizers, and elected officials to explore the GND’s relationship to society, policy, and the built environment.

Climate change is a crisis of unevenly experienced and systemic injustices that asks hard questions of scholars, practitioners, and community members alike. The Green New Deal—most famously as drafted in US H. Res. 109 and S. Res. 59, but echoed by elected officials and activists around the world—addresses these questions head-on, linking equity, the environment, and the economy to the transformations necessitated by the climate crisis.

“The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly” focused on modeling democratic debates that seriously consider the ambitions and challenges of the GND by thinking systemically and across scales. The public event included morning workshops and an afternoon series of discussions to encourage exchange among invited guests representing a range of disciplines as well as the general public. Spanish interpretation services were provided for the afternoon assembly, beginning at 1:00pm.

Located at the Queens Museum—home of the Panorama of the City of New York and in the heart of the nation's most diverse county—“The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly” took place within US Congressional District NY 14, jurisdiction of the Green New Deal House Resolution’s sponsor, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who joined the assembly with a pre-recorded video.

 

 

The representative from NY-14, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, responded to three questions posed to all event participants.

The event was organized by the Queens Museum, the American Institute of Architects New York (AIA New York), the Architecture Lobby, Francisco J. Casablanca (founder of the Instagram page "¿Quién Nos Representa?"), and Gabriel Hernández Solano (a Green New Deal Organizer), together with the Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture at Columbia University. At the Buell Center, “The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly” formed part of the project “Power: Infrastructure in America,” within which the Center organized a series of research, curriculum, and programming initiatives to consider the social, technical, and political contours of the ambitious—but still largely undefined—proposal.

Schedule 

10:00 Welcome / Bienvenida
10:30–12:00 Workshops / Talleres
1:00 Welcome (back) / Segunda bienvenida

  • Language Justice Orientation by Caracol Language Coop
  • Land Acknowledgment by Tecumseh Caesar
  • Debra Wimpfheimer (Chief Operating Officer, Queens Museum)

1:15 On a Green New Deal / Sobre un Green New Deal

  • Randy Abreu, Office of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

2:00 On Energy and Power / Sobre energía y poder
Presentation by morning discussion group

  • Samantha Josaphat (National Organization of Minority Architects)
  • Forrest Meggers (Architecture and Engineering, Princeton University)
  • Priya Mulgaonkar (New York City Environmental Justice Alliance)
  • Matt Peterson (Woodbine)
  • Anandi A. Premlall (educator in urban permaculture, SustyQ)
  • Gaya Sriskanthan (climate, energy, and environmental justice advocate)
  • Sean Sweeney (Labor and Urban Studies, City University of New York)
  • Claudia Zamora Valencia (New Immigrant Community Empowerment)

2:20 Remarks by Costa Constantinides (City Council, 22nd District)
2:30 Public discussion
3:00 On Transportation and Power / Sobre transportación y poder
Presentation by morning discussion group

  • Ellis Calvin (Regional Plan Association)
  • Jon Forster (organized labor policy advocate)
  • Oscar Oliver Didier (New York City Department of City Planning, the Bronx)
  • Leah Meisterlin (Urban Planning, Columbia University)
  • Juan Restrepo (Transportation Alternatives Queens)
  • Jennifer Scarlott (Bronx Climate Justice North)

3:20 Remarks by Catalina Cruz (State Assembly, 39th District)
3:30 Public discussion
4:15 On Government and Power / Sobre gobierno y poder
Presentation by morning discussion group:

  • Xiye Bastida (Fridays for Future)
  • Tecumseh Ceaser (artist and cultural consultant)
  • Ama Francis (Sabin Center, Columbia University)
  • Diana Hernández (Public Health, Columbia University)
  • Aurash Khawarzad (artist, educator, urban planner)
  • Monxo Lopez (South Bronx Unite)

4:35 Remarks by Jessica Ramos (State Senator, 13th District)
4:45 Public Discussion
5:15 Concluding remarks and discussion / Conclusión, comentarios y discusiones
6:00 Reception / Recepción

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“The Green New Deal: Una Asamblea Pública” convocó una selección amplia de especialistas, organizadores, y oficiales elegidos para explorar la relación entre el "Green New Deal," la sociedad, la política, y el ambiente construido.

El cambio climático, siendo una crisis desigual y de injusticias sistemáticas, es un desafío lleno de interrogantes, tanto para académicos, profesionales, y miembros de la comunidad por igual. El Green New Deal—mejor conocido por su redacción en US H. Res. 109 y S. Res. 59, y que resuena con los oficiales elegidos y activistas alrededor del mundo—aborda esas preguntas de una forma directa, enlazando la equidad, el medio ambiente, y la economía a las transformaciones necesarias para enfrentar crisis climática.

“The Green New Deal: Una Asamblea Pública” se enfocó en modelar debates democráticos que consideran seriamente las ambiciones y los retos del GND, pensando sistemáticamente y en varias escalas. Este evento público incluyó talleres de trabajo en la mañana, en la tarde y una serie de discusiones para fomentar un intercambio productivo entre los invitados de distintas disciplinas y el público general. Se proveyó servicios de interpretación en español para la asamblea de la tarde, comenzando a las 13:00.

Al estar ubicado en el Museo de Queens—situado en el corazón del condado más diverso del país y donde podemos encontrar la maqueta “Panorama of the City of New York”—“The Green New Deal: Una Asamblea Pública” se llevó a cabo dentro del Distrito NY 14 del Congreso de los Estados Unidos, jurisdicción de la patrocinadora de la Resolución del Green New Deal, la Representante Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, quien se unió a la discusión por un video pre-grabado (arriba).

Este evento estuvo organizado por el Museo de Queens, el Instituto Americano de Arquitectos de Nueva York (AIANY), el Lobby de Arquitectura, Francisco J. Casablanca (fundador de la página de Instagram "¿Quién Nos Representa?"), y Gabriel Hernández Solano (organizador del Green New Deal), en conjunto con el Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture en Columbia University. En el Buell Center, “The Green New Deal: Una Asamblea Pública” formó parte del proyecto “Power: Infrastructure in America” (Poder: Infraestructura en América), dentro del cual el Centro organizó una serie de iniciativas curriculares, investigativas, y programáticas que consideran los entornos sociales, técnicos, y políticos de una propuesta ambiciosa, pero en gran parte indefinida.

Horario arriba

"Green New Deal: Public Assembly" participants sit in discussion groups in folding chairs on a bright red carpet

"Green New Deal: Public Assembly" (Corey Torpie)

People stand on a balcony with glass walls overlooking the illuminated Panorama of the City New York, which shows a 3D model of the city looking north from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

"Green New Deal: Public Assembly" begins around a Panorama of the City of New York (Corey Torpie)

Xiye Bastida holds a microphone to speak as part of the "Democracy and Power" workshop while another participant watches her in front of a purple and green map of North America

Xiye Bastida participates in the "Democracy and Power" workshop (Claudia Kleffmann)

A hand grips a pencil and writes notes beside purple and green booklets titled "The Green New Deal: Assembled Annotations"

Workshop participants taking notes alongside "The Green New Deal: Assembled Annotations" (Claudia Kleffmann)

Participants sit in folding chairs on a red carpet while listening to the language justice orientation from Caracol Language Cooperative

Caracol Language Cooperative gives a language justice orientation (Claudia Kleffmann)

Audience members look at a TV screen with a pre-recorded message from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her office

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addresses the audience (Claudia Kleffmann)

Andy Abreu stands in a gray suit behind a podium to discuss a Green New Deal

Andy Abreu discusses a Green New Deal (Corey Torpie)

Priya Mulgaonkar gesticulates while holding a microphone sitting at a black table next to four other panelists during the "Energy and Power" discussion

Priya Mulgaonkar on "Energy and Power" (Claudia Kleffmann)

Leah Meisterlin speaks into a microphone at the center of the "Transportation and Power" panelists sitting side-by-side at a long table

Leah Meisterlin discusses "Transportation and Power" (Claudia Kleffmann)

Wide shot from the back of the audience showing attendees sitting in chairs listening to Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz speak during "Transportation and Power" (Corey Torpie)

Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz on "Transportation and Power" (Corey Torpie)

Six panelists sit side-by-side at a table during the "Government and Power" panel(Corey Torpie)

"Government and Power" (Corey Torpie)

A green circle partially shown on the right side of the page abuts white text on a purple background reading: "The Green New Deal: A Public Assembly; November 17th, 2019, Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows, New York"

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