Book Talk with Jesse Keenan

North documents a new era marked by shifts in population that are transforming everything from the physical landscape of cities to electoral politics. At the dawning of this post-climate era, emergent geographies of risk and opportunity are coming into focus as a consequence of both physical climate impacts and the adaptations of market economies. North offers a critical reframing of adaptation science and the role that people, markets, and public institutions play in shaping human mobility and the capacity of American communities to adapt. With fast-moving markets and slow-moving governments, everyday people are caught in the crosshairs. While some will seek to preserve the status quo, others will relocate from places that are increasingly uninhabitable, too risky, or too expensive for permanent settlement. As the era of Sun Belt migration comes to an end and climate impacts accelerate, everything from local relocations to transcontinental climate migrations are already well underway. At the same time, new geographies of opportunity are receiving zones for those who are seeking a more sustainable and less precarious way of life. North is not just a collection of scientific observations and projections about America’s future in the face of climate change. It is also a projection of optimism about America’s capacity for decarbonization, environmental stewardship, and population mobility. Bio: Jesse M. Keenan is the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning, Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, and Director of the Climate Change Science and Practice program at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). Keenan’s research focuses on the intersection of climate change adaptation and the built environment, including aspects of applied science, policy, and planning. Keenan formerly served as the Director and Area Head for Real Estate and Built Environment on the faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Design; Fe