Making the Case for Climate-Aligned Abundance and Urbanism

The fiscal and climate case for infill housing is increasingly hard to dispute — but data alone hasn't been enough to overcome the political and aesthetic resistance to density, even if it's for the better. This panel is about the messaging gap: how advocates, designers, and coalition-builders are translating cost curves and emissions data and examples of beautiful infill housing from around the world into narratives and images that make compact, mixed-use development the changes communities yearn for rather than something imposed on them. Panelists will share what's worked around the country — and what hasn't — in turning abundance into a story policymakers, developers, and the public actually want to be part of. This session is hosted by Gehl, Climate Cabinet, the Parking Reform Network, Metropolitan Abundance Project, and WRI and is a part of The Urban Climate Solution track at NYC Climate Week 2026. View all events in the track at https://www.urbanclimatesolution.org/.