Circular By Design: MIT Alumni Shaping the Future of Cities, Materials, Products and Systems

How do we meet growing demand for housing, energy, infrastructure and everyday products — while using fewer resources, producing less waste and improving quality of life? Join MIT alumni and guests for an evening exploring how circular design, technology, and innovation are reshaping cities, the built environment, consumer goods and the systems that connect them. Speakers will share innovations and what is being built, financed and shipped today. The conversation will examine how technology, innovation are helping organizations design out waste, extend the life of products and materials, improve resource efficiency, strengthen supply-chain visibility, and open new opportunities for reuse, repair, recycling and regeneration. It will also examine how practical circular principles move from concept to implementation: designing more adaptable buildings and infrastructure, creating lower-impact consumer products, developing new materials, modernizing production systems — and directing capital toward solutions that scale. As New York and cities worldwide seek to grow within planetary boundaries, these innovations are central to a more resilient, affordable and sustainable economy — one that protects the climate without trading away prosperity or quality of life. The evening features short presentations, audience discussion and networking over light refreshments.