BASF creates chemistry with stakeholders to tackle the challenges of urban living in New York City

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., May 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- 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; Sao 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).

The week-long Creator Space tour in New York includes the following events. Further information can be found on:  http://creator-space.basf.com/nyc

• Creator Space Summit – Revitalizing Red Hook, Brooklyn, a two-day expert summit with workshop sessions on how the connections between habitat, citizenship and resilience can help a changing Brooklyn neighborhood do more with less for the better.
• Cinema Night, a screening of the documentary film, Urbanized, introduced by Director Gary Hustwit.
• Cultural Activity, New York-based experiential artist Emily Baltz debuts an engaging, multi-sensory experience, "Corners," that brings to life stories of the undiscovered and unique characters of Red Hook and surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods.
• The Built Environment Jamming Session, a uniquely interactive brainstorming and networking event for thought leaders and experts to devise innovative ways of creating tomorrow's carbon neutral built environment.
• Creator Space™ Design Competition, lasting up to 24 hours, teams will conceptualize solutions using various creative formats to address the question: "How can we revitalize Red Hook's built environment to invite people to work, play and move around better to improve urban living?"
• adidas Jamming Session, BASF and adidas are hosting a collaborative event, gathering creative minds to "jam" on the future of urban mobility and movement.
• Creative Challenge, through art projects, local high school students are working together to explore creative ideas and solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing New York City in the near future. The top teams will be recognized and rewarded.
• Micro-exhibition, art installations by Terreform ONE that address the ecologies of cities, systems and objects at a number of different scales in the context of the growing world population.

For photos from the opening event on May 26, please click on the following link: http://basf.us/cst-newsphotos

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world's leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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SOURCE BASF Corporation