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Dec. 9, 2025
Activities and engagement from COP30
From November 9th to November 18th at COP30, the City Science group and the City Science Network participated in a series of events, workshops, and exhibitions designed to connect research, policy, and public engagement. Below is a summary of the most relevant activities that the City Science team attended and carried out during those days.
At COP30 in Belém, the City Science group and the City Science Network engaged in a series of events, exhibitions, and strategic meetings that brought together researchers, local and international stakeholders, global agencies, and cultural collaborators. Over the course of the week, the team contributed perspectives on urban innovation, climate resilience, and adaptive governance.
From AI-supported collaboration frameworks to immersive Amazonian futures and direct engagements with UN leadership, the activities reflected the expanding role of cities in shaping climate action and the importance of interdisciplinary research in guiding this transformation.
Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia – Immersive Installation
Opening November 9 | Forum Landi, Old Town | On view Nov 9–21Collaborators: MIT City Science; Federal University of Pará (UFPA); Emílio Goeldi Museum and Supported by MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST) Art by: Gabriela Bila | Kent Larson
This multi-piece installation invited visitors to explore speculative Amazonian futures grounded in ancestral knowledge, climate data, and emerging technologies. Through cinematic projections, virtual environments, and handcrafted design elements, Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia offered an alternative lens on climate futures rooted in local culture and ecological experience.
AI-Powered Multi-City Collaboration
November 10 | UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, Blue ZoneSpeakers: Kent Larson (MIT Professor of the Practice, director of City Science ), Martin Wainstein (Director of OpenEarth Foundation), Kirsten Dunlop (Director of ClimateKIC)
The week began with a session introducing new approaches to climate decision-making through AI, data, and systemic portfolio design. Kent Larson, Martin Wainstein, and Kirsten Dunlop presented work from CHAMP Brazil’s 50-city implementation and the open-source CityCatalyst platform. Participants explored how these tools can support integrated planning and governance across diverse urban contexts.
Meeting of the Mayors
November 11 | EY HouseFacilitators: Kent Larson (MIT Professor of the Practice, director of City Science) and Gesa Ziemer (Director of the City Science Lab Hamburg / UNITAC)
This session presented a potential consortium of cities dedicated to advanced modeling, simulation tools, and dynamic governance for Mayors and city leaders. Presentations from Kent Larson and Gesa Ziemer were followed by conversations examining challenges and opportunities in communities, with a focus on agile, human-centered planning frameworks.
November 13 | Museu de Arte de Belém / Museum of the Amazons
Panelists: Gabriela Bila – Artist and Researcher at CS MIT ML , Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia, Roberta de Melo Valente – Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Philip Yang – Representative, and Paula Rodrigues and additional contributors.
As part of COP30’s Adaptation and Cities program, Museu das Amazônias hosted the round table “Roda de Conversa: Questões Urbanas da Amazônia, desafios e possíveis caminhos,” bringing together local researchers and invited guests to discuss the key challenges facing Amazonian cities. Gabriela Bila (MIT) reflected on artistic practice and visual storytelling through Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia, Roberta de Melo Valente added perspectives from UFPA’s urban research, and Philip Yang contributed insights on planning and innovation ecosystems. The session offered a space to consider more inclusive, climate-aware, and culturally grounded urban futures for the Amazon.
High-Level Meeting with UN-Habitat Leadership
November 12 | Cities & Regions Hub Pavilion, Blue ZoneParticipants: Anacláudia Rossbach – Executive Director, UN-Habitat, Elkin Velásquez – Regional Representative, UN-Habitat Latin America & Caribbean, Kent Larson – MIT Professor of the Practice, director of MIT City Science.
A key moment at COP30 was the strategic meeting between UN-Habitat’s global and regional leadership and Kent Larson to explore formal collaboration between the UN-Habitat City Network and the City Science Network. The discussion focused on aligning methodologies, identifying potential pilot cities, and advancing a shared agenda centered on urban innovation, the global housing crisis, and adaptive governance. Both organizations expressed strong interest in developing a long-term partnership that connects data-driven tools, community engagement, and scalable urban solutions in the context of the Global housing crisis.
November 13 | Belém. Usina at Cabanagem
Attendees: Kent Larson - MIT Professor of the Practice, Director of MIT City Science, Gesa Ziemer – Director of the City Science Lab Hamburg / UNITAC, Luis Alonso – Principal Research Scientist MIT City Science. Hosts: Julio Alejandro Quezada & the Usinas da Paz leadership
As part of the broader COP30 programming and its community-focused activities, the City Science team visited the Usinas da Paz at Cabanagem, Belém’s flagship social innovation initiative at Informal Settlements. Hosted by Julio Alejandro Quezada and the Usinas leadership, Gesa Ziemer, Kent Larson, and Luis Alonso learned about the extensive work underway in informal and vulnerable communities—covering education and job training, access to sports and culture, social assistance, and community support structures aimed at reducing inequality. The visit underscored how local, community-driven initiatives can complement climate action, strengthen resilience, and advance more inclusive urban development, fully aligned with the principles of the City Science Network.
City Science for Climate Action: Insights from International Leaders
November 13 | EY HouseSpeakers: Luis Alonso – Principal Research Scientist MIT City Science, Carles Miquel – AR+I / Andorra Government, Gesa Ziemer – Director of the City Science Lab Hamburg / UNITAC, Sergio Roldán – Co-Director of the City Science Lab Guadalajara / UN-HABITAT LAC
This session brought together international City Science Labs to share insights on adaptive design, innovation in informal communities, dynamic governance, and the integration of ancestral knowledge into climate strategies. Lightning talks from each speaker introduced diverse regional perspectives, followed by a moderated discussion led by Luis Alonso, Gesa Ziemer, and Sergio Roldán.
November 13 | Forum Landi, Old TownPanelists: Gabriela Advincula –MIT Media Lab - Artist and Creator, Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia, Roberta de Melo Valente – Director of Forum Landi -Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Gesa Ziemer – Director of the City Science Lab Hamburg / UNITAC, Sergio Roldán – UN-HABITAT LAC, Luis Alonso – Principal Research Scientist, MIT City Science.
Held inside Forum Landi, home to the Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia exhibition, this round table gathered artists, researchers, and City Science Labs to explore how Belém and the MIT City Science Network can build long-term collaboration. The discussion centered on shared opportunities in Amazonian urban research, blending ancestral knowledge with new technologies, and shaping a meaningful COP30 legacy for the region. Panelists highlighted Belém’s unique role as a gateway to the Amazon and stressed the importance of sustained partnerships linking local universities, cultural institutions, and communities with international networks, combining scientific tools, artistic practice, and community engagement to advance Amazon-rooted innovation.
Urban Mitigation and Adaptation: Academic Partnerships with Implementing Agencies
November 15 | Side Event Pavilion Room 9, COP Blue ZoneOrganizers: Columbia Climate School & MIT
Speakers: Jeffrey Schlegelmilch – Columbia Climate School, Danilo Moyra – UNICEF Brazil, Luis Alonso – MIT City Science.
This event explored how universities can collaborate more effectively with implementing agencies working directly in communities exposed to climate risk. Speakers shared examples from disaster preparedness, UNICEF field operations, and MIT’s work on urban mitigation and governance systems. The City Science Network emphasized how research labs across the network develop scalable tools—such as human-centered digital twins, participatory planning methods, and urban performance models—that help governments and organizations translate scientific insights into actionable strategies. The session highlighted the value of sustained academic–practitioner partnerships that combine rigorous analysis with local knowledge to support more adaptive, resilient, and people-centered urban development.
November 15 | COP30 Official Side Event – “Mountain areas: Interlinkages between the biodiversity and climate change agendas” | Blue Zone
During the COP30 side event on biodiversity and climate in mountain regions, the City Science team met with David Forné Massoni, Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Transport and Mobility of Andorra, and members of his team. The conversation focused on how the City Science Network can continue supporting Andorra’s work on adaptation, resilience, and sustainable mountain development as part of the broader collaboration already underway through the Andorra Living Lab.
November 15 | Casa BNDES na COP30Hosted by: Universidade do Pará (UFPA) & Governo do Brasil
Speakers: Gabriela Bila – MIT City Science, MIT ML - Artist and Creator of Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia, Natalia Figueredo - Local Artist and Architect
At Casa BNDES na COP30, the University of Pará and the Government of Brazil hosted a session on futuros ancestrais—ancestral futures—and the role of art and community knowledge in reimagining the Amazon. Gabriela Bila presented Imaginary Atlas: Amazonia, co-created with the City Science group, showing how artistic practice can act as research and territorial awareness. The session highlighted how cultural narratives can complement scientific approaches and support Brazil’s broader goals for climate resilience and sustainable development.
Mitigation and Adaptation: Innovation and Investigation as a Driver of Change
November 18 | University of Navarra, MadridCo-organized by: CEOE, University of Navarra, Chapter Zero Spain, Mubil, City Science Lab Gipuzkoa, and MIT City Science
This workshop linked the themes of COP30 to the European context, building on the ongoing collaboration between the City Science Network and City Science Lab Gipuzkoa. The session focused on governance spaces, decision-support tools, and collaborative innovation models that can support climate-resilient cities and regions. It highlighted how the City Science approach—tested in Gipuzkoa through participatory digital twins, urban performance models, and co-creation methodologies—can inform broader mitigation and adaptation strategies across Spain and Europe.