Urban Futures: An Atlantic Perspective - Rabat, Morocco
by Adam Freed.
This conference examines the importance of cities as global policy actors, innovators, and collaborators.
'While a global phenomenon, the speakers identify specifically how the evolution of the importance of cities as global policy actors, innovators, and collaborators unfolds in the cities of the Northern Atlantic Basin versus the cities in the Southern Atlantic Basin. Despite the important differences between the cities of the Atlantic Basin, technology and the impact of global issues on the urban environment are bringing these cities closer together.
The significance of the rising global influence of cities might not be explained by the extent to which cities carve out a sphere of power for themselves on the governance stage, but by their ability to learn from each other, construct a viable venue in which to make collaborative decisions, and voluntarily implement what is decided upon. At the same time, the inevitability of urbanization, and the necessity of redirecting governance to the extent necessary to give them the authority to solve their own problems, means that city leaders will have to both empower themselves to be global actors and harness their power toward a common vision that involves all actors. Whether as global policy actors, innovators, and collaborators, the cities of the Atlantic Basin do share common ground in their ability to learn from each other, even if what they learn and how they apply it may differ based on their unique contexts.
Related publication : Urban Futures: An Atlantic Perspective
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Adam Freed
Adam Freed is the director of the Nature Conservancy’s Global Securing Water Program. In this role, he is working to identify, develop, and scale-up financing mechanisms to protect freshwater and to encourage holistic watershed management. Previously, he served as the deputy director of Mayor Bloomberg’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, which is responsible for implementing New York City’s long-term sustainability plan (PlaNYC) and supporting other sustainability efforts in the city. In this capacity, Mr. Freed developed and led the city’s climate change adaptation efforts. Prior to this role, he served as the assistant comptroller for New York City in the Office of the New York State Comptroller, where he evaluated large-scale economic development projects and crafted corporate governance strategies for the $150 billion state pension fund. Mr. Freed received his master’s degree in urban planning from New York University.