Clare Miflin - Designing for Zero Waste: Strategies from New York City

This event is part of the Environmental Resilience lecture series, co-organised by the IIEA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On this occasion, Clare Miflin argues that sustainable, prosperous and liveable cities of the future will need to be ‘zero waste’. She highlights that waste is a design flaw and that circular material systems can help regenerate cities, communities, and surrounding ecosystems for a healthier and more resilient future. Ms Miflin also outlines the important role that design of the built environment plays in the transition away from a linear economy and towards a circular economy. In her address, Ms Miflin draws on her experience as the development-lead of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines for New York City. These guidelines serve as resource and inspiration for architects, urban designers and developers to help cities across the world reach zero waste goals. About the Speaker: Clare Miflin is an architect and systems thinker with over 20 years of experience designing buildings to the highest environmental standards. She is Certified as a Biomimicry Professional, Architect, Passive House Designer, and LEED professional. Ms Miflin led the development of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines for New York City, through a multidisciplinary collaborative process. These Guidelines serve as resource and inspiration for architects and developers to help cities reach their zero waste goals and are being disseminated and implemented through the Center for Zero Waste Design. Since 2017, Ms Miflin has served as co-chair of the American Institute of Architecture NY ‘Committee on the Environment’.