135 / The Sustainable City / Steven Cohen

In this episode, I speak with Steven Cohen—former executive director of Columbia University's Earth Institute, a professor in the practice of public affairs at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, and the author of The Sustainable City. Dr. Cohen provides an overview of the broader trends in sustainable technological development, especially regarding the ongoing urbanization of human life. As the United Nations has reported, “Today, 54 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66 per cent by 2050.” Dr. Cohen provides an overview of these technological trends regarding their application in city planning within major urban areas around the world. He details the increasing efficiency of battery storage, the evolution of solar and wind power, and the rise and growing prominence of the electric automobile, and ties these evolving technologies to the ongoing development and planning of “sustainable cities.” Toward the end of the interview, Steven provides a nuanced perspective on the ongoing policy decisions by the Trump Administration, under the former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt, to deregulate environmental protections enforced by the EPA, and how these decisions will ultimately play out into the near future. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/steven-cohen // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast