Delegates Will Share Knowledge on Ways to Improve
Public Transit and Green Space Policies for Growing Urban Areas
The Atlanta Sister Cities Commission will welcome 40 international delegates for the second annual Economic Development Partnership Forum entitled “Greener Cities: Public Transit and Green Space Policies,” from Wednesday, March 12 to Friday, March 14 at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
“The City of Atlanta is committed to creating and implementing sustainability plans based on best global practices,” said Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. “This forum is an excellent opportunity for us to share information, as well as discover how to implement high impact solutions and practices ever mindful of the limits of nature and our obligation to leave the earth in better condition than we inherited it.”
The forum, co-hosted by the City of Atlanta and CIFAL Atlanta, is designed to broaden participants’ knowledge of the benefits of environmental improvements in land use and transportation policies and to enable delegates to return to their respective countries with a method for managing the opportunities and challenges presented by the sustainable planning of cities.
The forum will highlight the benefits of public transit and green space programs worldwide as well as help communicate the City of Atlanta’s environmental initiatives, such as Sustainable Atlanta and the BeltLine project, which the delegates will have the option of touring .
“The Atlanta Sister Cities conference reinforces our efforts to expand Atlanta's reach around the world as a leading international center to live and do business," said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. "Participating delegates will share best practices in the areas of both environmental and economic development."
Participating delegates include representatives from Nürnberg, Germany; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Ra’anana, Israel; Salcedo, Dominican Republic; and Taipei, Taiwan and representatives from Ningbo, China; Wuhan, China; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Ahmedabad, India; and Kingston, Jamaica.
Delegates are expected to benefit from expert case studies and presentations and to participate in peer-to-peer best practice sharing that will lead to discussions on innovations in land-use policies, revitalization and redevelopment, the capacity to create more “livable” cities, optimizing transportation infrastructure, and methods of facilitating funding through public-private partnerships.
The program will utilize the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Knowledge Management methodology which is based on experience-based sharing of best practices, panel discussions, and action plans for successful implementation.
The forum will commence at 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 12, with opening remarks by Alexander Mejia, executive director, CIFAL Atlanta; Sam A. Williams, president, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; and Teri Simmons, chair, Atlanta Sister Cities Commission. Opening remarks will be followed by a welcome address by Mayor Shirley Franklin, Chair of the CIFAL Atlanta Board.
Closing Remarks will be made by Claire McLeveighn, Director, External Affairs and International Relations, Mayor’s Office on Thursday, March 13 at 4:45pm.
Organized by the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission in conjunction with the City of Atlanta, CIFAL Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the forum is also held in cooperation with Atlanta Beltline, Inc. and the BeltLine Partnership; the Atlanta Development Authority; and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
For more information, visit the CIFAL Atlanta Web site at www.cifalatlanta.org.
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