Whether you’re interested in climate, policy, urban planning, or the future of American life, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Jesse Keenan is a really smart guy with a really big idea: Climate change will shape where many of us will live, and that will rearrange our cities, our landscapes, and our society. North will change the way you think about tomorrow.
Michael Grunwald, New York Times best-selling author of The Swamp, The New Deal, and We Are Eating the Earth
Join Wellington “Duke” Reiter, Executive Director of ASU’s University City Exchange and Ten Across and acclaimed scholar and author Jesse Keenan for a compelling talk on the ideas behind his new book North: The Future of Post-Climate America. Drawing on cutting-edge research, Keenan reveals how shifting climate realities are already driving major population movements across the United States—transforming cities, economies, and even the political landscape.
But this isn’t just a story of risk—it’s a story of opportunity. North offers a bold, forward-looking vision of how America can adapt, from reimagining urban development to advancing decarbonization and expanding economic mobility for communities on the move.
Two events to choose from…
Thursday, April 30
Book Chat with Jesse Keenan
Check-in: 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. MST; Book Chat: 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. MST; Meet the author and networking reception: 10:00 – 11:000 a.m. MST
Moderated by Ten Across Executive Director, Wellington ‘Duke” Reiter
Arizona State University – Walton Center for Planetary Health | Auditorium 107
Free and open to the public.
This event is brought to you in partnership by: Ten Across, ASU’s Rob Walton College of Global Futures, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Urban Land Institute Arizona
Thursday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. MT
Book Chat with Jesse Keenan. Book signing to follow.
Moderated by Ten Across Executive Director, Wellington “Duke” Reiter
Changing Hands Bookstore – Phoenix
300 W Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013
Free and open to the public.
About the Book
In North: The Future of Post-Climate America, Jesse M. Keenan argues that America is entering a new era marked by shifts in population that will transform everything from the physical landscape of cities to electoral politics. First, Keenan examines how human mobility is shaped by the environment and the economy. Next, he provides a conceptual and empirical overview of adaptation science, with a focus on how people, governments, and markets are preparing for and responding to climate impacts. He documents how physical impacts in the built environment, escalating costs, and public sector inertia are converging to drive people out of high-risk areas, while, at the same time, certain other areas are attracting people who seek a more sustainable way of life. North is not just a collection of scientific observations and projections about the peril of those left behind. It is also a projection of optimism about America’s capacity for decarbonization, environmental stewardship, and economic mobility for those on the move.
About the Author
Jesse M. Keenan is the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Tulane University. His research spans design, engineering, finance, and policy, with service to U.S. government agencies, international organizations, and major corporations. Widely published and cited, Jesse’s work has shaped climate policy, financial regulation, and concepts like climate gentrification.
