Paul Rivers is enrolled in Hunter College’s M.A program in Geography with a concentration in Urban Studies. Paul intends to utilize the degree to further understand the complexities in resilience planning and urban development, and provide transitional consulting to political bodies within city governance. The program focuses on multi-disciplinary geographic theory, preparation for doctoral study, and opportunities for advanced Geographic Information Systems coursework. Paul’s experiences at the CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Clinton Foundation have inspired him to use public policy as a tool for environmental stewardship. He has presented at the McNair Scholar’s Research Conference in Washington D.C on the utility of the multi-purpose levee development proposal ‘Seaport City’ to address impacts from storm surge and flooding. He has also presented at the Roosevelt House in NYC on the ability for greenroof policy to mitigate urban heat island in urban areas. These focus points have allowed Paul to pinpoint transportation as an area of immense importance in the urban response to climate change. His graduate thesis responds to this by proposing the quantification of carbon emissions impacts by transportation sector in NYC, and the construction of a design set of urban pilot programs designed to reduce emissions locally. The programs will aim to educate the public about their transportation derived carbon footprints, and advise city governments on cleaner transport options. The underlying motivations in the thesis stem from Paul’s passion to further understand aspects of reliable transportation, economic restraint, spatial fixity and the role of cognitive dissonance.