We live in a time when the spaces we inhabit are being profoundly reshaped by climate change. From cities to peri-urban landscapes, the way we build, design, and live is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Climate adaptation is no longer a distant policy ideal; it is an urgent design- imperative.
Luxembourg has responded to this challenge through the development of its 2025 to 2030 National Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan aimed at enhancing societal resilience in the face of mounting environmental, social and geopolitical pressures. Adaptation calls for the ability to translate vision into spatial transformation, and integrated measures that address new risks from extreme weather ranging from drought, heat, flood risks and harvest failures.
This public lecture begins with a keynote by Bruno Alves, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, who leads the development of Luxembourg’s adaptation strategy. His work emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration and inclusive public engagement, creating a foundation for meaningful and participatory climate action.
Following this, Philippe Nathan, architect and founder of 2001 TBSI, Territories, Buildings, Spaces and Ideas, will present a design-based interpretation of the strategy through the lens of the Greenbelt project. In his vision, the greenbelt is a regenerative system that integrates biodiversity, microclimates, food sovereignty, and culture into the daily fabric of urban life. It is a living infrastructure, created not only to withstand climate pressures but to align human activity with natural systems.
Together, these perspectives illuminate how policy and design can come together to create grounded and transformative responses to the climate crisis. This event invites participants into a shared reflection on how we shape our future through both governance and the reinvention of the spaces we call home.
This public lecture is organized as part of the study programme Certificate in Sustainability and Social Innovation, which prepares change agents to tackle the complex challenges of sustainability
Date: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Time: 18:30 – 20:30
Venue: Salle Paul Feidert, Campus Kirchberg, University of Luxembourg
Address: 6 rue Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, L-1359 Luxembourg
Organizer: Prof. Ariane König
Contact: Asadi.hamid@uni.lu
Registration is required.
