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