Envisioning Urban Futures

Envisioning Urban Futures: More-than-human Cities

We can only plan for the future we want if we imagine that future in the first place. Join us as we ask scientists, artists, engineers, writers and other experts from across the disciplines to envision the cities of tomorrow. 

Can we make cities more sustainable, resilient, livable, and healthy by moving beyond a human-centric design philosophy?

More-than-human cities is a concept that recognizes and incorporates the needs and agency of non-human species—plants, animals, fungi, and microbes—in urban planning and design. Join us in exploring this theme at our next gathering, which will take place on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 in Hunt Library on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

Event schedule:

• 5:30 – Expo (exhibits, posters, music, food and drink)
• 6:30 – Talks and Q&A
• 7:45 – Expo and networking (continued)
• 8:30 – Event ends

Featured Speakers

• Mitchell Silver, Raleigh City Council member and former City of Raleigh Planning Director and New York City Parks Commissioner. He specializes in urban planning, placemaking, and implementation strategies.
• Matthew Booker, Professor of History at NC State University. He studies the boundaries of history, ecology, law, and food production in urban and coastal spaces.
• Aminah Al-Attas Bradford, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Research Scholar in Applied Ecology at NC State University. She explores the interface between science, theology, and the microbial world and is a fellow at the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles, where she serves as a spiritual and ethical consultant on projects that seek to defend the rights of nature and to consider humanity’s planetary future.
• Ginger Dosier, Executive Director BIOME Consortia Institute. She is an architect, visionary, and inventor pioneering the use of Earth’s microbial intelligence as blueprints to address humanity’s greatest challenges.
• Rob Dunn, Senior Vice Provost for University Interdisciplinary Programs and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State University. He has written several books about human interdependence with the rest of life, including A Natural History of the Future, Never Home Alone, and, most recently, The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us About How to Live Well with the Rest of Life.

About the Symposium

This symposium is jointly organized and sponsored by NC State University’s Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs, NC State University’s Peter A. Pappas Real Estate Development Program, and the NC State University Libraries.

Read about our past events and view recordings of the talks:

• Envisioning Urban Futures: Charlanta
• Envisioning Urban Futures: The Cities of Tomorrow

More Information

For more information on this event, or to be added to an interest list, please reach out to Dr. Jory Weintraub, Director of Science Engagement (weintraub@ncsu.edu).