The Participatory Metropolis, or Resilience Requires Democracy The ecological and democracy crises are essentially place-based. What “self-rule” and sustainability look like depend upon the history and aspirations of the people pursuing them in a particular jurisdiction shaped by ecological and institutional systems interlocked in time and space. My response to the question “Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?” is, therefore, located where I have spent the last twenty-two years living and working (and collaborating and agitating), the New York City metropolitan region. Superstorm Sandy brought home the realities of climate change to the northeastern United States in a way that no scientific report had or could. It overwhelmed the physical infrastructure of coastal New Jersey and much of the twenty-two counties in four states that comprise the NYC metro area. While the city’s mass transit system bounced back with commendable alacrity, the power grid did not, and tens of thousands went without the absolute basics of food, water, and medicine. This storm spawned by climate change painfully revealed the vulnerabilities of our physical infrastructure in the form of collapsed boardwalks, flooded houses, and overflowing sewage systems. It also revealed the inadequacies of and inequalities in our institutions in the form of ill-equipped power utilities, gas shortages, and uncoordinated emergency response. Yes, rich and poor, white and black, old and young suffered during Sandy. But as development proceeds, are we all truly in the same boat? Which voices will articulate the visions for a resilient New York City? Whose interests will guide redevelopment? … an inclusive and egalitarian budget program already at work in New York City could be used to collaboratively construct a model of democratic resilience. Infrastructure is a technical response to a social need in a specific environment. But how we construct and satisfy those needs flows from political choices. If we don’t dwell on the coast, then seaside flooding isn’t a problem. Indeed, some cities have removed housing and commercial operations from flood-prone spaces and replaced them with low-cost parks that provide wildlife habitat while absorbing floodwaters. Mayor Michael Menser Assistant Professor - Brooklyn College Democracy - Michael Menser | Center for Humans & Nature http://www.humansandnature.org/democracy---michael-menser-... 1 of 4 1/2/15 11:30 PM