Prior Activities
Academy Luncheon: “A Tale of Two (or More) Cities vs. Amazon” – February 26, 2019
Presented by Jeff Finkle, President and CEO, International Economic Development Council
Amazon_HQ2_v2Pam Patenaude Farewell Reception
Another HUD 50th event on September 17 – Jill Khadduri, Historical Overview
Recap of Sept. 9 birthday/anniversary celebration (you decide which it is and tell us)
3.0 Academy HUD 50th Agenda (2015-2016)
We continue to work on the Legislative History of the Creation of HUD in 1965, and should have it ready sometime this year. We are also working on a forthcoming Commemorative book for the end of the celebratory year. The “Comprehensive Milestones of Housing and Community Development Since 1789” is up to 2015 now. The Wikipedia Project Initiative continues – Fellow Barbara Adams, e.g., has just informed me that the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Communications Department will be revamping what is currently on about them (just a stub now). The HUD Achievements Nominations are in preparation; The Oral Histories and the E-Memoirs Project also will be released at will throughout the year. Gordon Cavanaugh’s is being edited at the moment, e.g.
The NYC HUD ‘birthday party’ that had been set for November has now been moved to (tentatively) January12, 2016, for our Fellows and Friends there. Save the date and we will let you know shortly about that.
4.0 International urban policy events
For those interested in this aspect of the Academy, a number of urban-related events took place at the two recent UN weeks in NYC, including the UN Climate sessions, with strong references by the Pope and the heads of U.S., China, and India as we near the Paris COP21 in December; the passage of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Section 11.1 Housing; a planning meeting for Habitat III, with strong linkages to the former two components (HUD is the national convener for this process); and lots of affiliate meetings around town, such as the Clinton Global Initiative. I was able to be present at several of these and talk with other persons who had attended ones that I had not. I plan to update my May Citiscope blog as a result! (see the original one attached.)
- New York Climate Week represented the last key milestone in the run up to COP21, welcoming key UN delegations alongside business and sub-national leaders, who all committed to making major carbon emission cuts.
- This took place alongside the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by 193 UN member states. The 17 global goals aim to address the interlinked problems of inequality, hunger and climate change over the next 15 years up to 2030. Pope Francis opened the SDG Summit and put tackling climate change and inequality at the heart of his address, calling the global goals “a sign of hope.”
- The We Mean Business coalition revealed that 6 million companies have indicated their support for a strong climate deal.
- China announced a national cap and trade carbon market coming into force from 2017, signalling serious commitment to fulfilling their ambitious climate pledge.
- The UNFCCC launched the Climate Neutral Now Campaign, making it simpler for companies, Governments and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.
All eyes are now on COP21, taking place in Paris this December. Alongside this momentous climate Conference, there will be the 6th annual Sustainable Innovation Forum, that will welcome over 750 public and private sector climate change leaders to drive the future of the green economy. Let me know if any of you will be attending.