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.
State of the Planet
- Why We’re All on the Same Team in the Fight Against Climate Change May 7, 2026Campbell Award winner Marina Saguar Urquiola is helping to solve climate change through adaptation finance.Olga Rukovets
- “Near-miss” Tsunami in Alaskan Cruise Area Offers Lessons for Steep Landscapes Near Glaciers May 6, 2026As glaciers retreat in warming regions, the risk of related hazards can increase, and improved monitoring may help reduce some of those dangers, according to a new study.Columbia Climate School
- You Asked: Lamont and Climate School Experts Tackle Reader Questions on Science and Sustainability May 6, 2026We invite readers to share their most pressing questions about climate, science and sustainability.Columbia Climate School
- Lamont Paleoclimatologist Maureen Raymo Receives the 2026 Nemmers Prize May 6, 2026Raymo received the award for her pioneering development of hypotheses that explain climate change across Earth’s history, and her educational leadership in the Earth system sciences.Columbia Climate School
- Melanie Nakagawa To Speak at Columbia Climate School Graduation May 5, 2026Columbia Climate School is thrilled to announce that Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft, will deliver the keynote address at the Climate School’s Class Day ceremony.Columbia Climate School