CUER Workshop: Regulating the Urban Environment – June 26, 2012

CUER Workshop: Regulating the Urban Environment The Workshop?? was held at CUNY School of Law???s brand-new, LEED Gold facility in Long Island?? City. The event was intended to generate a day-long dialogue on the special?? problems associated with regulating the urban environment. It brought together?? scholars, activists and regulators for a comprehensive and inclusive examination?? of the very challenging legal and regulatory questions implicated by urban?? environmental law, and environmental justice. Our morning discussions focused on?? the social construction of the urban environment, and on the unique regulatory?? challenges posed by a multi-cultural, densely populated urban environment. The?? afternoon session was dedicated to issues of environmental democracy and?? participatory decisionmaking. Through all three sessions, the participants?? grappled with how regulatory structures contribute to the unequal distribution?? of environmental bads like pollution, traffic and noise, as well as to the?? unequal availability of environmental amenities like parks and green?? spaces.