Urban Environment Lab

Today's Research on the Challenges of Sustainable Development

The current social context surrounding climate change is ushering in a new era of land use, planning, and development, one that reconsiders the role of natural disasters, natural resources, and environmental impacts on the communities in which we live. The Urban Environment Lab engages students, policy-makers, and research partners in collaborative projects and discussions on the determinants of hazard vulnerability, community resilience, sustainable development, and infrastructure adaptation at the intersection of the natural, social, and built environments.

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  • Beyond Net-Zero Targets: Lisa Sachs on Designing Systems for Decarbonization October 23, 2026
    Sachs, director of Columbia’s Center on Sustainable Investment, argues that durable climate progress begins with systems diagnosis, not isolated technologies, targets or promises.
    Guest
  • Climate Change Stopped the Next Ice Age October 22, 2026
    New research shows that 2,000 years ago, remnants of an Arctic ice sheet began growing again, marking the start of a new glacial period—what we commonly call an ice age. But by the 1960s, global warming had raised summer temperatures enough to reverse that growth.
    Guest
  • Highlights From the 2026 Open House at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory October 22, 2026
    More than 2,500 visitors explored hands-on activities, lectures and installations at Lamont's campus on Saturday, October 17.
    Olga Rukovets
  • Discover Climate LIVE K12 Sessions for 2026-27 October 21, 2026
    From October through June, Columbia Climate School researchers and students will host sessions exploring climate and sustainability topics including biodiversity, climate finance, climate action in professional sports and wildfire management.
    Columbia Climate School
  • Giant Canyon on Mars Is Still Tectonically Active Today October 19, 2026
    Scientists at Columbia University and Imperial College London have found that the largest canyon system in the solar system is still active and shaping Mars today, billions of years after it first formed.
    Guest