Center for Urban Environmental Reform Hosts Visiting Scholar Dr. Elif Colakoglu (UPDATED)

This summer, CUNY School of Law’s Center for Urban Environmental Reform (CUER) hosted visiting scholar Dr. Elif Colakoglu, whose work focuses on climate change in the context of sustainability and environmental security. At the end of her visit, Dr. Colakoglu presented her research to the CUNY faculty and produced a report titled Climate Change and Urbanization in New York City. Effects and Implications. Her report is an important contribution to the scholarly literature.

While at CUNY Law, Colakoglu studied New York City and the initiatives it has taken to combat the challenges of climate change. Specifically, she examined the city’s PlaNYC and its plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 30 percent. In her paper for the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Colakoglu discusses the City’s climate change projections and some of the potential risks they may bring to the city’s critical infrastructure. She also discusses the future of these policies in light of New York City’s upcoming 2013 mayoral election.

Colakoglu is an assistant professor at Ataturk University in Turkey where she is the head of urbanization and environmental sciences in the Department of Public Administration. Her research interests include the right to water, environmental security, environmental politics, urban politics, and local governments. “Today we cannot separately address environmental issues such as climate change, water, and energy. We need to look at these multidisciplinary issues holistically,” Colakoglu said.

Rebecca Bratspies, professor and director of CUER, was pleased to be able to work with Colakoglu during her stay in New York. “Her work is insightful and thought-provoking,” said Bratspies. “She has enriched our community.”

Colakoglu extended special thanks to Bratspies and CUNY School of Law Dean Michelle Anderson for welcoming her and supporting her work while in New York.