Rising social and economic inequality is among the most pressing problems in the West as also in the Eastern Countries.
Speaker Geeta Mehta
Date 02.11.2022
Location Atrium, Lee Shau Kee Architecture Building, CUHK; and via Zoom
Rising social and economic inequality is among the most pressing problems in the West as also in the Eastern Countries. Unbridled emphasis on financial capital is depleting the social and ecological capital of communities. The way cities are designed, is a cause and symptom of this. Come and brainstorm with us about how our cities can help heal social and ecological injustice and stem the climate crisis. Are there new ways to live, move, work and socialise? Will we still want to own a car, or property in the future city? Will we live in denser coastal cities, ceding much land to rising seas? Where will the climate refugees and capitalism refugees live? What else should we be thinking about? How can cities help the shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy?
Dr. Geeta Mehtais an adjunct professor of architecture and urban design at Columbia University and has worked on urbanism projects in twelve countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. Women’s eNews recognized her as one of the 21 Leaders of the 21st Century.
Geeta founded Asia Initiatives, a non-profit organisation that works in underserved communities to help improve livelihoods, education neighbourhoods and the environment. She is the innovator of Social Capital Credits (SoCCs), a community currency for social good that is empowering communities in the USA, India, Kenya and Ghana and won the World Changing Idea award from the Fast Company, as also prizes from MIT SOLVE, Jacobs Foundation, General Motors, Vodafone and Experian.
Geeta is also the co-founder of URBZ: User Generated Cities, an organisation located in Mumbai that works with grassroots organizations to improve neighborhoods.
Geeta serves on the New York City Mayor’s Waterfront Management Advisory Board, and on the board of the Center for the Living City, WomenStrong International, and Friends of the Tokyo University. She served as the president of the American Institute of Architects’ Japan Chapter while she lived in Tokyo. She is also the co-author of six books. She received her B. Arch. from Delhi School of Planning and Architecture, M.S. in Urban Design from Columbia University and PhD from the University of Tokyo.
The lecture will be conducted in English. For non-CUHK participants, please register here.
Click here for details of the Public Lecture Series 2022-23.
