OREANDA-NEWS. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will have a strong presence in the Habitat III Conference to be held in Quito, Ecuador, Oct. 17-20, 2016. During the conference, IDB experts will discuss the main challenges that Latin American cities will be facing in coming decades from an environmental and fiscal sustainability perspective, as well as mobility, water and sanitation and energy issues. 

As part of the agenda, the IDB will hold two side events open to accredited media: 

There can be no urban agenda without safe mobility

Monday, Oct. 17, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m., Urban Future Room, Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana 

This event will discuss the importance of road safety and its relation to public transportation policies, urban planning and people-centered transportation. It will also present the winners of the “Gobernarte - Premio Eduardo Campos” award in the category of innovating cities on road safety improvement issues. 

Speakers:

  • Moderator: Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Jean Todt, President, International Automobile Federation (FIA) 
  • Gina Tambini, Ecuador’s Representative to the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) 
  • Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 
  • Jeanne Picard, President, Ibero-American Federation of Road Violence Victims Associations 

The city of the future from a citizen’s perspective

Monday, Oct. 17, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Room R7, Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana 

What will the cities of the future look like? At this event, renowned public sector leaders will explore how technological advances will change future city governance and government-citizens interaction. They will also analyze the urban infrastructure financing and climate change challenges. 

Speakers:

  • Martin O’Malley, Former Governor of Maryland, USA
  • Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland, California
  • Sergio Fajardo, Former Governor of Antioquia, Colombia
  • Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, Head of Government, Buenos Aires City, Argentina
  • Michael Berkowitz, President, 100 Resilient Cities, USA
  • M?nica Araya, Founder and Executive Director, Nivela, Costa Rica
  • Paulina Saball Astaburuaga, Minister of Housing & Urbanism, Chile 

Informal meeting of IBD President Luis Alberto Moreno with members of accredited media

The meeting will take place Monday, Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m. at the IDB stand located in the Habitat III site outside the National Assembly, area G #152. 

IDB experts available for interviews 

The IDB stand will also host a series of live talks where innovation and urban development experts will share ideas that will transform Latin American cities in decades to come. Following the live talks listed below, the specialists will be available to interested media. 

The Inter-American Development Bank is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides loans, grants and guarantees, the IDB conducts cutting-edge research to offer innovative and sustainable solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges. Founded in 1959 to help accelerate progress in its developing member countries, the IDB continues to work every day to improve lives.