City-as-Lab RCN Workshop 2025

March 31st - April 1st, 2025

New York Institute of Technology

New York, New York

The 2025 City-as-Lab RCN Workshop was held March 31–April 1, 2025, at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in New York City. As the culminating event of the six-year NSF-funded Research Coordination Network, this workshop served as both a reflection on the network’s accomplishments and a launchpad for sustainable action beyond the project’s formal conclusion.

The City-as-Lab RCN has focused on the urban nexus of food, energy, and water (FEW) systems, with urban gardens emerging as a unifying platform for interdisciplinary research, community collaboration, and systems innovation. This final workshop brought together over 50 researchers, community leaders, students, and government stakeholders to surface learnings, strengthen relationships, and envision future collaborations.

The workshop was facilitated by an experienced team science facilitator and certified Strategic Doing practitioner, and supported by the steering committee.