York School News

How do we build a resilient city?

by Anthony Westenberg for TRNTO
The students of The York School investigate what it takes to build a resilient city. Each spring, Ms. Megan Gardner-Ross takes a group of World Issues and Geography students to the Mississippi delta and New Orleans to investigate how the area is recovering post Hurricane Katrina. 
Students work with journalists, environmentalists, engineers, community activists and politicians, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the resilience of the city.
From touring storm surge dykes, pump stations, barrier islands, natural flood-mitigating swamps and the Lower 9th Ward, where the Hurricane was especially damaging, the students get a holistic view of the various factors at play in rebuilding and protecting the city.
But they’re not just going to look. The students also participate in the recovery process through collecting and testing water samples from Lake Pontchartrain and by planting marsh grass and cypress trees to prevent erosion. “There is much to be learned from visiting a region recovering from disaster while facing a future that will be complicated by climate change,” explains Gardner-Ross.

The big picture

There are now 7.5 billion people living on earth. 50% live in cities. By 2075 an additional 3.5 billion people will move to cities and everything is going to change. NYC will have a population of 28m, Hong Kong 10.4m, Mumbai 57.9m, and Toronto 7.8m. Many more cities in the world will double in size.
During that same period, environmental and social pressures will increase (climate change, fresh water, food security, mobility, and affordable housing, to name a few). This future unfolding in our lifetime will be the reality of our children.
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About the York School

The York School is a gender-inclusive JK to Grade 12 independent school located in the heart of Toronto. The York School was founded in 1965 and is the first English speaking school in Canada accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from junior kindergarten (JK) to university entrance. As an IB World School, The York School's motto is Experience Teaches.

Contact Us

Junior School (Grades JK-5) 1639 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario M4T 2W6 
 
Middle School (Grades 6-8) & Senior School (Grades 9-12) 1320 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario M4T 1X2 | Tel: 416.926.1325
 
Mailing address: 1320 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1X2
Attendance:
Junior School: 1639attendance@yorkschool.com
Middle & Senior School:

1320attendance@yorkschool.com

Admission:
admission@yorkschool.com

General Questions:
reception@yorkschool.com