Cold Truths for Heating Cities: A Panel Discussion

To mark the 175th anniversary of Boston’s first municipal water supply, we invite you to a multidisciplinary panel discussion about our relationship with water in the times of climate crisis. This event is part of the programming for the exhibit “Reservoir: What the Water Knows” curated by Arlinda Shtuni. Water and its cycles are at the heart of climate warming, and cities are the pressure points in this fragile ecosystem. As urban dwellers, we have an abstract connection with water, as invisible infrastructures and complex systems deliver it to us. And we take for granted that this system will function, until it is disrupted by droughts and floods. Our dependence on water has shaped our urban environments. Yet, as water cycles change and cities become heat islands, how can we creatively and sustainably respond and adapt to our changing environment? A multidisciplinary panel featuring an urbanist, a science writer, a sustainability expert, and a public artist will offer perspectives on how to become more weather responsive and resilient. They will exchange views on how reframing our view of cities as integral to nature can impact our response to the impending environmental threat. Panelists Christopher A. Haines, AIA, NCARB, is a Principal at Permadigms. His architecture career has spanned energy efficiency, preservation, building science, and regenerative design. He has taught undergraduate and graduate classes on architectural technology, environmental management, and urban sustainability and published pieces on degrowth economics, urbanism, and the impacts of the human brain. His involvement with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate, turned his attention to the intersection of climate, biodiversity and the built environment. His epiphany “where does the heat come from?” instigated writing a book on this hopeful climate paradigm. His peer-reviewed article, “Greenhouse Gases: True but Not the Whole Truth,” is available online. Courtney Humphries is a writer and interdisciplinary researcher in urban environmental governance, infrastructure history, and climate change adaptation. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor in environmental studies and Core Fellow at Boston College. She holds her PhD in environmental sciences from UMass Boston, was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT in 2015-2016 and a Public Research Fellow at the Norman P. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library in 2020-2021. Her writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, MIT Technology Review, Nautilus, Politico, CityLab, New Scientist, Nature, Science, Wired, The Atlantic, Harvard Magazine, Architect, and other publications. Martin Pillsbury, Environmental Director at MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council). He manages all aspects of the agency’s environmental and water resources programs. He currently oversees MAPC’s climate adaptation planning, the Hazard Mitigation planning program, and the agency’s technical assistance on stormwater management, including MS4 permits, Low Impact Development, and Green Infrastructure. He participates in state water resources policy as a gubernatorial appointee to the Water Management Advisory Committee, and he recently served as an appointee to the legislative Water Infrastructure Finance Commission. At the local level, Mr. Pillsbury has extensive experience in preparing groundwater and aquifer protection plans for dozens of communities across the MAPC region. He has also assisted the MA Department of Environmental Protection in drafting the state’s Model Groundwater Protection Bylaw and has managed several projects to help communities develop stormwater management bylaws as well as a stormwater enterprise fund. Artist Nancy Selvage, whose artworks appear in the exhibit “Reservoir: What the Water Knows,” grapples with how to express our collective anxiety over accelerating climate change by exploring the impact of weather on one’s psyche. She responds to the ever present threat of dire climate change by reducing her carbon footprint, giving presentations on the sustainability of various art practices, advocating for local green energy initiatives, and by embedding her concerns in the creation of sculpture. The event is free and open to all. We gratefully accept donations of $10. Help us monitor capacity by reserving your ticket in advance.

Metropolitan Waterworks Museum

Waterworks Museum

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Best of 💫

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added to Joyraft

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Discover kid-friendly fun in Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas! Enjoy hands-on exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum, explore the New England Aquarium, and visit the Franklin Park Zoo. Find parks, playgrounds, and seasonal events perfect for families across Massachusetts.

Top 20 kid-friendly things to do in Boston, MA

Kid-friendly things to do in Boston

Kid-friendly events

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Boston Bars and Restaurants: Events and Openings

Food & drink experiences in Boston

Food & drink experiences 

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Cold Truths for Heating Cities: A Panel Discussion

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