In June 2019, over 400 academics, scientists, practitioners, journalists, city leaders, industry representatives and others gathered to discuss issues of climate adaptation, resilience, environmental justice, policy, planning and much more. This was the first large convening of its kind on the managed retreat topic.
In 2021, the second conference brought together over 900 stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors with academics, scientists, and community representatives. The program centered environmental justice, recognizing that those most affected by retreat planning and policy must have a key role in these discussions.
In 2023, we convened again to focus on questions of habitability and mobility in the face of climate change, while maintaining a strong emphasis on equity. The conference addressed questions of habitability - how do we define it? what are the degrees of habitability? "habitability" for whom? - as well as challenges and solutions around voluntary and forced migration, displacement, and planned relocation.