Round Table Event: Building Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas: From Demonstration Projects to Scale

Round Table Event: Building Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas: From Demonstration Projects to Scale

On June 3, 2013, a high level Round Table Event will occur entitled: Building Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas: From Demonstration Projects to Scale on the margins of the 43rd OAS General Assembly.

Sustainable cities may be the Americas most ambitious agenda item — as our cities are experiencing explosive growth — harboring upwards of 80% of the population. The Americas Hemisphere is creating high value-added activities ranging from manufacturing to tradable services in order to create jobs and sustain growth. Urbanization provides market demand and remittances for the rural economy; fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and diversification; offering jobs, income earning opportunities, and better access to technology; and, creating transparent local governance and civil society organizations.

Many cities are meeting the challenge. For example, Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city, is a safe and bustling city and one that has achieved international recognition as a sustainable city. Recent efforts to modernize public transit, create better public spaces and improve safety are transforming the city. These projects include the development of bus rapid transit — called MetroPlús — and the creation of a bike-share program. As a result, Medellín was awarded the 2012 Sustainable Transport Award.

Delegates from Medellín, Colombia and the Ministry of Cities of Brazil, as well as IDB Emerging and Sustainable Cities Platform,

US EPA’s Building Block and HUD’s Climate Showcase Communities Program will be present.

The meeting will be held at El Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española and is open to the public.

To learn more about the Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribean ECPA intiative, click here.