March 12-14
Atlanta, GA, USA
Agenda
Sponsorship Opportunities
Hotel Information

Venue

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
235 Andrew Young International Boulevard NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Directions

Economic Development Forum 2006 Proceedings

Strategic Objectives

SMARTRAQ (Strategies for Metro Atlanta’s Regional Transportation and Air Quality) found in a recent assessment of land use and transportation policies that “built environment” improvements and accessibility lead to behavioral changes, which leads to improved environmental outcomes, with subsequent cost-savings and economic growth for cities. Integrating sustainable principles in municipal planning and policies not only reverses the loss of environmental resources, but also enhances social and economic development through attracting constituents to either remain or move to urban areas that demonstrate a marked improvement in quality of life through green spaces, walkability and other such investments in more “livable” cities.

The 2nd Annual Economic Development Global Partnership Forum will highlight the benefits of public transit and green space programs worldwide and help better communicate the City of Atlanta’s initiatives, such as the BeltLine, to Atlanta residents and stakeholders.

Participants are expected to benefit from expert case studies and presentations along with peer-to-peer best practice sharing that will:

•   examine land-use policies
•   share innovations on revitalization and redevelopment
•   build capacity to create more “livable” cities
•   facilitate funding through public-private partnerships

Select Audience

Chaired by the Honorable Shirley Franklin, Mayor of the City of Atlanta, this program will bring together political and technical representatives from the Atlanta’s 18 Sister Cities network and other cities worldwide.  Participants will exchange information and best practices on improving public transit and green space policies for growing urban areas. 

Invited Sister Cities include:

•   Ancient Olympia, Greece
•   Brussels, Belgium
•   Bucharest, Romania
•   Cotonou, Benin
•   Daegu, South Korea
•   Fukuoka, Japan
•   Lagos, Nigeria
•   Montego Bay, Jamaica
•   Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
•   Nuremberg, Germany
•   Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
•   Ra’anana, Israel
•   Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
•   Salcedo, Dominican Republic
•   Salzburg, Austria
•   Taipei, Taiwan
•   Tbilisi, Georgia
•   Toulouse, France

Unique Format

This program will utilize UNITAR’s (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) Knowledge Management methodology which hands on experience-based sharing of best practices, panel discussions, and action plans for successful implementation. This interactive program will explore the opportunities and challenges of sustainable planning of cities.

About Atlanta

Atlanta serves a metropolitan population of more than 5 million people, with more than 400,000 residing in the downtown area.  By 2030 its metropolitan area will double and the number of residents in the city will be over 600,000.  Atlanta’s vision for growth focuses on increased green space, improved mobility, economic development and high-density housing.  In order to achieve this goal, the City is working towards the BeltLine initiative, which is recognized as the most innovative re-development project in the country – forming 13 new parks, 22 miles of transit and 33 miles of trails.

For more information

Francesca Cesa Bianchi
Program  Director
Phone: 404.446.4160
Fax: 404.446.4173
E-mail: fcesabianchi@cifalatlanta.org