10.00 AM

Urban Tech in New York City: The Cornell Tech Commitment

A welcome from Cornell Tech's new Urban Tech Hub.

Greg Morrisett - Dean & Vice Provost, Cornell Tech

10.30 AM

The Future of Urban Tech: A Ten-Year Forecast

Self-repairing roads and sewers. Forests and farms inside buildings. Software that follows our instructions rather than following us around. These are just some of the possibilities and pitfalls for urban tech in the decade ahead. Dive into The Future of Urban Tech, an interactive ten-year forecast exploring breakthroughs, innovations, and applications that will reshape our cities and communities.

Anthony Townsend - Urbanist in Residence, Cornell Tech

11.00 AM

Supercharged Infrastructure

Urban infrastructure is about to get a major upgrade. Breakthroughs in infrastructure components, networks, and artificial intelligence will create more interconnected cities. But the bigger challenge may be harnessing the power of this vast, deep, actionable web to benefit all urban residents.

Anthony Townsend - Urbanist in Residence, Cornell Tech (moderator)

Meli Harvey - Creator of sidewalkwidths.nyc

Jeff Prosserman - Founder & CEO, Voltpost

Dana Chermesh - Founder & CEO, inCitu

Juan-Pablo VelezCo-founder, Friends of Columbia Solar & Software Engineer, Spotify

1.00 pm - LUNCH SESSION

Resilient Corridors

Big ideas for stopping climate change like geoengineering and 15-minute cities get a lot of attention. But as cities gear up to cut carbon emissions and prepare for shocks, they'll put urban tech investments to work at an intermediate scale, rebuilding corridors and districts that amplify the advantages of both density and regional connections.

Michael Samuelian - Founding Director, Cornell Tech (moderator)

William Floyd - Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google

Derrick Lewis - Cofounder & Chair, The Bronx Community Foundation

Natalia Quintero - Senior Vice President of Innovation, Partnership for New York City

1.45 PM 

​​Urban Tech Ecosystem: Berlin

Building from a strong background in architecture and planning, urban innovation investment has created an experienced breed of entrepreneurs in Berlin. In our first ecosystem deep dive, we explore why, how and with whom Berliners are tackling local problems with space-based design and unique investment theses being driven by local and European governments.

Jonas Schorr - Partner, Urban Impact

2.00 PM 

Wild + Well

A revolution in biosensing is expanding our ability to map and model the natural elements of our human-made world. As our understanding of how urban biomes shape health and climate improves, urban tech will play a fundamental role in how we all protect, and benefit from, the wild within cities.

Anthony Townsend - Urbanist in Residence, Cornell Tech (moderator)

Alexander Kobald - Assistant Director, Design Across Scales Lab

Mitchell Joachim - Cofounder, Terreform ONE

Yanina Kupava - Director of Operational Planning & Administration, Central Park Conservancy

Briana Garcia - IoT Product Outreach & Project Manager, Temboo

3.15 PM 

Urban Tech Ecosystem: Detroit

The mobility capital continues to push boundaries with projects like Sidewalk Labs’ Cavnue and Ford’s Michigan Central projects, driven by public sector organizations like the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. However, the urban tech story is also unfolding from the bottom’s up with neighborhood level programs such as the Equitable Internet Initiative and local innovation development with TechTown’s Detroit Urban Solutions. Here, we explore the role of academia in developing and scaling urban tech solutions with communities.

Emily Dabish - Detroit Director, CIV:LAB

Paul Riser - Director, Detroit Urban Solutions

Janice Gates - Director for the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII),Allied Media

10.00 AM

Dark Plans

Artificial neural networks that power machine learning are creating tremendous value in our cities by revealing order where before we saw only chaos. They can help us organize our urban world with a predictive capability unrivaled in human history. But as disorder is replaced by a closely monitored hum, what might we lose, and what risks might we create?

Bryan Boyer - Director of Urban Technology, University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning (moderator)

Stephen Larrick - Technology and Public Purpose Fellow, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School

Sarah Williams - Associate Professor & Director Civic Data Design Lab, MIT

10.45 AM 

Urban Tech Ecosystem: Singapore

On nearly every list of cities leading in urban innovation, Singapore is featured. Its public spaces and rewilding of architecture is unmatched with a government that doesn’t just support innovation, it embodies the spirit of innovation within. Hear from some of the strong and united local institutions who are instrumental in executing local urban tech for an entire nation.

Aaron Maniam - Deputy Secretary, Industry & Information, Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information

Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri, Founder and Executive Director, CIV:LAB

11.00 AM

New Screen Deal

The smart city agenda has traditionally focused on efficiency, but equity is more important than ever. As a well-connected, well-informed set of stakeholders voice new demands, how can cities define and deliver a more inclusive agenda for urban tech? Meanwhile, fundamental questions remain unresolved—can technology designed to extend the reach and consolidate the control of the most powerful communities really be checked?

Chelsea Mauldin - Executive Director, Public Policy Lab (moderator)

Rebecca Williams - Researcher, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School

Megan Marini - Principal, 3x3 Design

Ya-Ting Liu - Director of Government Affairs & Policy, Via Transportation

12.00 PM 

Fireside Chat with Jigar Shah

Michael Samuelian - Founding Director, Cornell Tech (moderator)

Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office at U.S. Department of Energy

1.00 PM

Urban Innovation Industrializes

Efforts to sell operating systems to cities—whether by enterprise experts like IBM or consumer tech giants like Alphabet—have failed repeatedly. But in the decade ahead, big tech and big finance will find a formula that works to help cities build the urban infrastructure of the future. How will the influx of capital and technology change the way we live and build? Who will come out on top? And how do markets for urban tech need to be regulated to maximize the public interest?

Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri - Founder & Executive Director, CIV:LAB (moderator)

Elizabeth Sisson - Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center

Dominique Keefe - Investment Associate, Generate Capital 

David Gilford, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

1.45 PM - virtual

Urban Tech Ecosystem: London

London, one of the world’s premier global metropolises, has more than an international story to tell. Driven by London’s 32 boroughs, a traditionally climate progressive Mayor’s Office, premier urban research institutions, and growing govtech and prop tech sectors, London is pursuing a distinctive brand of innovation. This session will explore the hyperlocality of urban innovation, from the borough level to the global stage.

Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri - London Director, CIV:LAB

Wayne Stephenson - Director of Environment and Climate, London Borough of Hounslow

Victoria Lawson - Executive Director of Environment, Culture and Customer Services, London Borough of Hounslow

2.00 PM

Rethinking Urban Living Labs

​Urban tech researchers, innovators, and government partners have pursued the creation of “living labs” in cities. But as urban condition has fundamentally changed in the last two years, these models need to be re-examined. What are the right assumptions and first moves for Cornell Tech to become a responsible stakeholder in the city’s innovation ecosystem?

Sander Dolder - Senior Vice President, Smart & Sustainable Cities, NYCEDC (moderator)

Shaina Horowitz - Vice President of Product & Programs, Newlab

Thanasi Dilos - Cofounder, Civics Unplugged

Oscar Romero - Director of Inclusive Innovation & International Cooperation, NYC Mayor's Office of the CTO

10.00 AM

An Urban Tech Agenda for NYC

Rebooting NYC: An Urban Tech Agenda for the Next Administration is an applied research initiative dedicated to proactively identifying challenges facing New York City that can be addressed with existing urban technologies. Learn about the report and get ready to help shape its final recommendations.

Rohit Aggarwala - Professor, Columbia University & Senior Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech

10.30 Am

Redefining and Closing the Digital Divide

Not everyone is participating in the digital economy. From broadband to digital literacy, hear about aggressive steps New York City can take to close the multi-faceted digital divide.

Rohit Aggarwala - Professor, Columbia University & Senior Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech (Moderator)

Clayton Banks - Cofounder & CEO, Silicon Harlem

Kate Wittels - Partner, HR&A Advisors

Noel Hidalgo - Executive Director, BetaNYC

11.15 PM

What Would It Take to Build a Digital Locker for NYC Residents?

Technology has revolutionized the way businesses deliver services to consumers every day. What can the New York City government do to exploit opportunities to similarly improve the way it delivers social services to constituents?

Rohit Aggarwala - Professor, Columbia University & Senior Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech (Moderator)

Mirtha Santana - Chief Program Officer, RiseBoro Community Partnership

Matt Klein - Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity

1.00 pM

Regulating Privacy in the Public Realm

How should New York City enact rules that govern how City agencies use and share data? What principles should guide them?

Rohit Aggarwala - Professor, Columbia University & Senior Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech (Moderator)

Albert Fox Cahn - Executive Director, S.T.O.P. (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project)

Tara Pham - CEO, Numina

Gale Brewer - Manhattan Borough President

1.45 PM

Tech for Safe, Shared Streets

Streets make up 27% of New York City’s land area, and are the one space that all New Yorkers use together, every day. How can technology help coordinate the use of streets to make them safer and maximize public value for all users?

Sarah Goodyear - Co-Host, The War on Cars (moderator)

Shabazz Stuart - CEO, Oonee

Laura Fox - General Manager, Citi Bike - Lyft

3.00 PM

Procurement and Talent in the Digital Age

Restructure DoITT? Create a Digital Service of crack tech workers? Explore what the City can do to become a more effective purchaser, developer, and manager of technology projects.

Michael E. Bloomberg - Director, Groundwork Data (moderator)

Andrew Rasiej - Founder & CEO, Civic Hall

Ariel Kennan - Senior Fellow, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation

Michael Pastor - Director, Tricarico Institute for the Business of Law and In-House Counsel; Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School

3.45 PM

Positioning NYC to Anticipate and Shape Urban Tech

New Yorkers need to be in a position to shape how urban technology is implemented in their city. How can New Yorkers be engaged and empowered in the process of developing and deploying urban technology?

Rohit Aggarwala - Professor, Columbia University & Senior Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech (Moderator)

John Paul Farmer - Chief Technology Officer, City of New York

Julie Samuels - Executive Director, Tech:NYC