The Cities + Citizenship Conference is a series of public events that explore the intersection between design and the social sciences by reflecting on the concepts of “city” and “citizen” in parallel. What is the relationship between city making and citizenship? Can design provide new and richer tools for strengthening citizenship and advancing human rights and responsibilities?

The events are inspired by and aim to be a response to the Goethe-Institut’s WELTSTADT project currently taking place across major world cities. Please see: http://blog.goethe.de/weltstadt/

Film Screening and Opening Party
Thursday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.
Goethe-Institut, Wyoming Building, 5 E. 3rd Street (at Bowery)
The Domino Effect (2012), a documentary film by Daniel Phelps, Megan Sperry, and Brian Paul, at the Goethe-Institut, Wyoming

Conference: Cities and Citizenship
Friday, March 14, 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University, 1 Washington Place.

Opening Remarks:
Ioanna Theocharopoulou, Architecture, Parsons the New School for Design, and Andrea Zell, Goethe-Institut, Berlin

Panel 1: Environment & Citizenship or The Social Construction of Nature in the City
10:00–11:30 a.m.
This panel will seek to identify how the construction of “nature” informs the construction of the urban subject or citizen, and explore new and emerging sites at which “nature” occurs in the city. To what extent are urban spaces inhabited “naturally”, by whom, for whose benefit? What are the social and ecological consequences of our continuous construction, reconstruction and appropriation of urban nature?

Moderated by Peder Anker, History of Science, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Environmental Studies, NYU. Panelists include: Vyjayanthi Rao, Anthropology, New School; Lynnette Widder, Architecture, Sustainability, Earth Institute, Columbia University; Tyler Volk, Biology, Environmental Studies, NYU; Colin Jerolmack, Sociology, Environmental Studies, NYU; and Eric Sanderson, Senior Conservation Ecologist, Wildlife Conservation Society.

Panel 2: Design, Participation & Citizenship
12:30–2:00 p.m.
Whereas the social sciences approach the concepts of “city” and “citizen” in terms of what can be known, the design disciplines—working propositionally—engage with the known in order to focus on what may be imagined and possible. This panel will focus on ‘spaces of insurgent citizenship’ in discussing possible scenarios for designers and social scientists working together in identifying ruptures in the spaces of everyday life: spaces where invention, exchange, co-creation and mobilization of collective energies re-imagines today’s cities and urban territories.

Moderated by Louise Harpman, Architecture, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Environmental Studies, NYU. Panelists include: Andreas Kalyvas (Politics, New School for Social Research), Miodrag Mitrasinovic, Urbanism + Architecture, Parsons the New School for Design; Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Sociology, Director of Civic Engagement, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, NYU; Mariana Mogilevich, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Metropolitan Studies, NYU; Eric Klinenberg, Sociology, NYU, and Stephen Duncombe, Sociology, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Media, Culture and Communications, NYU.

Panel 3: Design Humanism?
2:15–3:45 p.m.
How can we interpret the needs of diverse social groups and design material spaces and artifacts that are viable and emancipative? Can design help us create new and richer tools for strengthening citizenship and advancing human rights and responsibilities? [How] can climate change-related emergencies serve as new sites of interaction between the two?

Moderated by Mitchell Joachim, Architecture, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Environmental Studies, NYU, and Ioanna Theocharopoulou, Architecture, Parsons the New School for Design. Panelists include: Susanne Schindler, Architect, Candide Journal; Brian McGrath, Dean, School of Constructed Environments, Parsons the New School for Design; Victoria Marshall, Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, Parsons the New School; Susannah Drake, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, dlandstudio; and Natalie Jeremijenko, Artist, Art Education, Environmental Studies, NYU

Workshops
Saturday, March 15, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Goethe-Institut, Wyoming Building, 5 E. 3rd Street (at Bowery)
Presenters + Themes: Mark Torrey on Zoning and Affordable Housing, Megan Sperry on Communication and Community Engagement; Matthias Hollwich on Design for an Aging Population ; Mitchell Joachim, Miodrag Mitrasinovic, and Ioanna Theocharopoulou on Midtown and MoMA. More Information on the workshops can be found here.

Cities and Citizenship is co-presented by the Goethe-Institut New York, Parsons The New School for Design, and Global Design NYU, Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

All events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Please register with wyomingbuilding@newyork.goethe.org, by March 12.