BASF ‘Creates Chemistry’ with Stakeholders to Tackle Challenges of Urban Living in New York City

BASF is hosting a week-long program in New York City to address one of the world’s pressing future challenges: urban development to meet our growing population. Thought leaders, scientists, students and citizens are participating in a series of events to identify sustainable solutions. Red Hook, Brooklyn, is serving as the case study on how public-private partnerships can help resolve the evolving needs of global cities.

“BASF is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year,” said Wayne T. Smith, Chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation and member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE. “Our history shows that chemistry is an enabler for new ideas and solutions. As we celebrate this milestone, we are connecting people and ideas to make meaningful contributions to society in accordance with our corporate purpose: ‘We create chemistry for a sustainable future.’”

An opening event on May 26 featured a keynote address by Amanda Burden, urban planning expert and former New York City Planning Commissioner (2002-2013). “Cities are fundamentally about people, and where people go and where people meet are at the core of what makes a city work,” said Burden. “So even more important than buildings in a city are the public spaces in between them. And today, some of the most transformative changes in cities are happening in these public spaces.”

It is projected that by the year 2050, nine billion people will inhabit the Earth – compared with seven billion today – and more than 70 percent of them will be dwelling in cities. The New York Creator Space tour is focusing on how city neighborhoods of the future can accommodate more people, use fewer resources and yet deliver a better quality of life.

Using Red Hook, Brooklyn, as a case study, participants will examine the dynamics within the neighborhood, including single and multi-family residences, commercial structures, public spaces, civic infrastructure and green space. The concepts of habitat, citizenship, and resilience will be explored and mined for inspiration during a two-day summit guided, among others, by Professor Alexandros Washburn, Founding Director of the Center for Coastal Resilience and Urban Xcellence (CRUX) at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.

“Our Red Hook neighborhood is uniquely Brooklyn: diverse and creative,” said Washburn, who is a Red Hook resident. “But we’re not unique when it comes to flood risk and sea level rise because we live right on the waterfront, like a billion other people around the world. If we can find a way to make Red Hook resilient, we can find a way to make all coastal cities resilient.”

Throughout its anniversary year, BASF is collaborating with multiple stakeholders in an approach known as ‘co-creation’ to focus on smart energy, food and urban living. The cornerstone of BASF’s 150th anniversary celebration is the Creator Space™ tour, a series of six, week-long programs occurring in: Mumbai, India; Shanghai, China; São Paulo, Brazil; Barcelona, Spain; New York and BASF’s hometown, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Other key elements include  Creator Space online, a global, collaborative internet platform, and three science symposia to drive innovative solutions in Ludwigshafen (smart energy), Chicago (food), and Shanghai (urban living).