Mr. Joel Towers

Joel Towers is Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design at Parsons School of Design. He is also the Co-Director of The Tishman Environment and Design Center and a University Professor at The New School. From 2009-2019 he was the Dean of Parsons School of Design.

Towers is currently a co-Principle Investigator of the Climate Vulnerability Impact, and Adaptation Analysis, a City of New York sponsored research project. He is a member of the Urban Climate Change Research Network, and a lead author in the 2018 “Climate Change and Cities Second Assessment Report” as well as the upcoming Third Assessment (2023). Towers has published on sustainable design throughout his career as an architect and academic and completed award-winning built projects that advance sustainable design practices in the field. He is co-chair of The New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC), working on the 4th NPCC report (2024). NPCC is an independent panel mandated, by Local Law, to periodically provide the NY City Council with authoritative, actionable information that will help the City adapt to climate change, take actions to mitigate its future impact, and build a more equitable and resilient future.