This week, a cohort of students from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design are in Laredo doing a deep dive to understand the South Texas border city’s top challenges as it relates to water security, climate impacts, land use patterns, and air pollution. The Feb. 19-Feb. 24 visit is part of a semester-long project called “Creating Environmental Markets” and is partially sponsored by the City of Laredo and Rio Grande International Study Center.
The 15 students whose career backgrounds range from urban planning to landscape architecture are led by two faculty members – Bob Zimmerman and Dr. Lorena Bello-Gomez, an urban designer who has worked with Monterrey on it’s recent water crisis. Students have visited locations along the river, creek systems, and wastewater plants, and held meetings with a diverse group of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo experts including elected officials, local government, ranchers, academics, engineers, architects, and community-based organizations.
“There are two reasons we’re here,” said lead instructor Bob Zimmerman. “The first is that the best instruction is reality-based. The second is the students are learning how to deal with climate change, urban design, and restoring natural systems. We’re doing that here in reality, but also especially confronting the real problems South Texas faces, and the problems the rest of the nation faces or will face in many ways.”
Mayor Victor Trevino, MD, said it was a pleasure to receive the students, adding “I thank RGISC for hosting the visit as it spotlights the importance of ecological research and collaboration in our unique border and river-front community.”
During their visit, students are working to gather information and familiarize themselves with the landscape and analyze potential restoration projects that can help mitigate the effects of climate change, such as secondary water options and wastewater reclamation initiatives.
Webb County Ricardo A. “Ricky” Jaime, precinct 4, said that he looks forward to seeing the design cohort’s “plan of action” in May and a “collaboration to better service Webb County.” Jaime said that he enjoyed the “opportunity to participate in a dialogue on the backstory of the County’s water plant and give them insight on how we provide water services to the community.”
Melissa R. Cigarroa, City Council member district 3, agreed. “This visit is an amazing opportunity for outside eyes to be introduced to the beauty of our community and contribute to the very real challenges we are facing: drought, climate resilience, and water security.”
Cigarroa added, “Our whole community is based on relationship building and ties with one another; this group is here because Laredoans created connections, and we look forward to welcoming them back and having them help us here and share in our story.”
The students will use their findings and information gathered to create a panel of suggestions for climate mitigation. It will be presented to relevant stakeholders in early May when a small group of students returns to Laredo.
For more information, please contact RGISC at (956) 718-1063.
