• Ford Foundation is first philanthropic institution to join the New Cities Foundation
• Ford and NCF to jointly work on New Cities Summit session on urban social justice issues  

New York, USA – Wednesday 15 February, 2012 – The New Cities Foundation, a global platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization, announced today that the Ford Foundation, one of the world’s largest philanthropic funders working on urban issues, has joined its rapidly growing membership network. Ford is the first philanthropic organization to become an NCF member.

The announcement marks the latest in a series of important global partnerships NCF has recently signed with institutions such as the University of California Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Urban China Initiative, both of whom joined the Foundation in January. NCF’s worldwide membership base includes GE, Cisco, Ericsson, Orange, GDF Suez, Citynove – Groupe Galeries Lafayette, the Climate Group, and USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab – among others.

The theme of the upcoming New Cities Summit, which will be held in Paris from 14-16 May, is Thinking Ahead, Building Together.  Building on a recognized track record in organizing high-level global forums, the Summit aims to be the leading annual global forum on 21^st century urbanization. This forum will bring together global thought leaders in technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, national and local government, the media, academia and the non-profit sector from all regions of the world. Content rich, innovative keynotes and specialist panels, full of concrete examples of emerging best practices, will help place the city on the global agenda.

The Ford Foundation is one of the world’s leading philanthropies. It supports visionary leaders and organizations on the frontlines of social change. Established in 1936, the Ford Foundation sponsors programs that strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement through its grant-making activities in all 50 states and over 50 countries worldwide.
George McCarthy, Director of Ford’s Metropolitan Opportunity Program, commented,

“With over half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, cities are our future.

By working together to build just cities—shaped by fairness, sustainability and shared prosperity—we believe that urbanization can be a positive force in the lives of billions of the world’s residents. Meeting that challenge demands fresh thinking, new global partnerships, and frank discussion, and that is precisely why we are so pleased to support the New Cities Foundation and its New Cities Summit.”

“The Ford Foundation enriches our community tremendously. As one of the foremost organizations championing creative programs that are aimed at building prosperous and equitable metropolises in the US and globally, the Ford Foundation is paving the way in partnering with diverse sectors to advance the vision of sustainable, dynamic urban communities,” said NCF Executive Director, Mathieu Lefevre. “We are delighted to welcome Ford to NCF and we look forward to working towards our common goals.”

Background on Ford Foundation activities: Ford’s Metropolitan Opportunity Program focuses on providing equitable access to safe, affordable housing, efficient transportation, and good jobs in cities across the United States. The three main initiatives under this Program are Connecting People to Opportunity, Expanding Access to Affordable Housing, and Promoting Metropolitan Land-Use Innovation through 143 grants totaling US $62,815,320.

More broadly, the Ford Foundation works in three program areas that encompass eight significant social justice issues. In the Economic Opportunity and Assets program, the Foundation focuses on helping people build individual and shared assets to reduce poverty and build economic security. Under the Democracy, Rights and Justice program Ford supports efforts to build more democratic and accountable governments. Finally, in Education, Creativity and Free Expression, the Foundation promotes more equitable education and greater voice and expression through scholarship programs.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world. Learn more on www.newcitiesfoundation.org, on Facebook and Twitter @newcitiesfound.

For media inquiries, please call Anja McKinnon at +44 (0)7926 051360 or email anja.mckinnon@mslgroup.com.

New York, USA – 30^th January, 2012 – The New Cities Foundation (www.newcitiesfoundation.org) announced today that the University of California Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS – http://citris-uc.org/), a California Institute for Science and Innovation, has become its latest academic member. Supported by leading companies such as GE, Cisco, Ericsson, Orange, GDF Suez and Citynove – Groupe Galeries Lafayette, NCF’s diverse membership base also comprises world-class research and non-profit institutions, including the SENSEable City Lab at MIT, NYU Wagner, HEC Paris, Gateway House in India, Metropolis and others.

In November 2011, NCF launched a Task Force on connected commuting in San Jose, California, working closely with CITRIS as its primary academic partner on the pilot project. The Task Force is investigating the economic, environmental and behavioral impact of connecting commuters in the Bay Area via smartphone social media platforms, enabling them to share real time information with one another. The world leading research team at CITRIS will be conducting the Task Force’s research and data analysis using its advanced systems developed for analyzing and visualizing large, complex datasets.

CITRIS is a highly regarded academic research center dedicated to developing and applying information and associated technologies to address important societal problems in California and around the world. Created in 2001 with a $100 million grant from the State of California, CITRIS brings together the capabilities of four University of California campuses – Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Cruz – and with academic, government and industrial partners in California, the US and elsewhere in the world, is focused on making a tangible difference to the world.

Paul Wright, Director of CITRIS, said, “Since its establishment, CITRIS has pioneered the development and implementation of information technologies to help solve major societal problems.  The core of CITRIS’s mission has been to support a transformation in how the world’s scarce resources are managed for the benefit of all.  With the dramatic rise in the proportion of the world’s population that live in cities, CITRIS is well positioned to make a significant contribution to helping cities adapt and evolve more effectively to meet the needs of their citizens.  We believe that our partnership with the New Cities Foundation will significantly help CITRIS make an impact and achieve the vision of its founders”.

“We are very pleased to welcome CITRIS as an academic member,” Executive Director of NCF, Mathieu Lefevre said. “As an institution that conducts cutting edge research in key topic areas like water, transportation and public health, CITRIS’ capabilities are instrumental in contributing to the body of knowledge needed to improve urban resource management. We are excited to include CITRIS in our member network.”

The upcoming New Cities Summit, which will be held in Paris in May 2012, is the centerpiece of the New Cities Foundation’s work. Building on a recognized track record in organizing high-level global forums, the New Cities Summit aims to be the leading annual global forum on new urbanization. This invitation-only forum, which will take place at Paris La Défense, will bring together global thought leaders in technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, water, national and local government, the media, academia and the non-profit sector.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world.

Content-rich, dynamic keynotes and plenaries will form the basis for discussion about how we will live, work and play in the cities of tomorrow. Presentations of NCF Task Forces will orient conversations towards new replicable solutions, best practices and fertile areas for innovation.

Background on CITRIS activities: CITRIS pioneered the development and implementation of wireless sensor networks for a wide range of applications, from measuring the stresses imposed on the Golden Gate Bridge by traffic, wind and seismic events through to real-time mapping of traffic and river flows; accurate measurement of energy use in buildings, and in health care, where they have been used to address issues of access and disparity in health outcomes.
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The New Cities Foundation has seen momentum building in recent weeks with a series of leading edge global initiatives. Most recently, the New Cities Foundation announced that it has selected Paris to host the inaugural New Cities Summit from May 14th– 16th 2012. Task forces have also been launched on e-health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and on connected commuting in San Jose, California, in addition to an event for thought leaders in Beijing on urbanization in China.

Eric Costa, Chairman of Citynove, commented, “We are very pleased to become a major supporter of the New Cities Foundation. As a key actor in city-centre lifestyles and retail, Groupe Galeries Lafayette fully recognize the crucial importance of the urban phenomenon worldwide. This is why we are joining the New Cities Foundation network – a dynamic and global community which is interested in thinking about the future of our cities and our world.”

“We are delighted to welcome Citynove as our newest Member. It is fitting that such an ambitious and expanding retail group with globally known brands should choose to partner with us, especially as our first ever New Cities Summit will be held in Paris” said Mathieu Lefevre, Executive Director of NCF. “We are thrilled that this leading retailer and real-estate developer will become part of the NCF community.”

The forthcoming New Cities Summit which will be held in Paris in May 2012 is the centrepiece of the New Cities Foundation’s work. Building on a recognized track record in organizing high-level global forums, the New Cities Summit aims to be the leading annual global forum on new urbanization. This invitation-only forum, which will take place at Paris La Défense, will bring together global thought leaders in technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, retail, real-estate, national and local government, the media, academia and the non-profit sector.

Content-rich, ground-breaking keynotes and plenaries will form the basis for discussion about how we will live, work and play in the cities of tomorrow. Presentations of NCF Task Forces will orient conversations towards new replicable solutions, best practices and fertile areas for innovation.

About Citynove – Groupe Galeries Lafayette :
Citynove is the real-estate division of Groupe Galeries Lafayette. Citynove defines and deploys real-estate strategies that enhance the attractiveness of the Groupe Galeries Lafayette’s stores with the most favourable environment for their operations, while responding to urban challenges and changing consumer habits.
With almost 120 years of history, Groupe Galeries Lafayette has gained unrivalled experience in general retail and specialist retail. It has contributed to the development and animation of the cities where stores are settled in France and worldwide. The organisation employs more than 43,000 people with 2011 revenues exceeding 5 billion Euros.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world.

For media inquiries, please call Anja McKinnon at +44 (0)7926 051360 or email anjak.mckinnon@mslgroup.com or find us at Facebook and Twitter

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Geneva, Switzerland and Beijing, China, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 – The New Cities Foundation (www.newcitiesfoundation.org) and the Urban China Initiative (www.urbanchinainitiative.org) announced today that they will be working together to generate a better understanding of the challenges posed by our increasingly urban world, particularly in China.

The rapid and unprecedented growth of the world’s cities is one of the defining trends of our age. By 2050, the world’s urban population is expected to have reached between 6 and 7 billion. The challenges and opportunities of this urban era deserve the full attention of decision-makers in policymaking, business, academia and civil society. Nowhere are these more important than in China, which is fast approaching its urban billion.  This is why this partnership between NCF, with its true global multi-sectoral approach and UCI, with a focus on urban China is so important.

“The cooperation between the New Cities Foundation and the Urban China Initiative holds great promise to bring the best of global research and thinking to Chinese urban stakeholders, said Jonathan Woetzel, Co-Chair for the Urban China Initiative. “NCF brings deep insights into how technology can shape urban life for the better which will be of great value to Chinese city managers, as well as providing an international venue for them to exchange perspectives with global cities and practitioners.”

NCF Executive Director Mathieu Lefevre commented: “We are very pleased to welcome the Urban China Initiative as one of our members. China is perhaps the most crucial chapter in the story of the world’s urban transformation. UCI’s dynamic knowledge community and deep connections in China make it a very welcome addition to our membership. We particularly look forward to working together on our upcoming global flagship event, the New Cities Summit in May in Paris.”

The New Cities Summit, which will be held in Paris in May 2012, is the centerpiece of the New Cities Foundation’s work. Building on a recognized track record in organizing high-level global forums, the New Cities Summit aims to be the leading annual global forum on new urbanization. This invitation-only forum, which will take place in Paris, will bring together global thought leaders in technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, national and local government, the media, academia and the non-profit sector.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution, which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world.

For more information, telephone +86-10-8573 0688 or email contact@newcitiesfoundation.org or find us at www.newcitiesfoundation.org, Facebook page and Twitter

About the Urban China Initiative: Urban China Initiative (UCI) is a joint initiative of McKinsey & Company, Columbia University, and the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University. Its mission is to catalyze the next stage of China’s urbanization by finding and implementing effective solutions to China’s urbanization challenge, and to support China’s cities as they innovate. It seeks to develop solutions, facilitate dialogue, and provide a home for China’s leading domestic and international urban thinkers and professionals. The Initiative seeks to pursue knowledge initiatives at scale – fact-based, objective analyses of options available to urban leaders across an enormous variety of conditions, with the goal of unearthing solutions that can be made to work across hundreds of cities. Indeed, in this respect China is in a unique position to leverage experience across its large number of varying cities.

For more information, telephone +86-10-8525 5252 or email  contactUCI@external.mckinsey.com or find us at www.urbanchinainitiative.org

Geneva, Switzerland – Thursday 8 December, 2011 – The New Cities Foundation (www.newcitiesfoundation.org) has selected Paris to host the inaugural New Cities Summit from May 14^th - 16^th 2012. The choice of Paris follows an intensive year-long selection process involving global cities in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The annual New Cities Summit is the centrepiece of the New Cities Foundation’s work.  It aims to be the leading annual global event on 21st century urbanization, with a unique focus on urbanization in fast-growing economies in Asia, the Middle-East and Latin America. This invitation-only event, which will take place in Paris-La Défense, brings together global thought leaders in business, public policy, technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, finance, national and local government, academia, civil society and the media.

Content-rich keynotes, plenaries and thematic workshops will form the basis for a thought-provoking discussion about how we will live, work and play in the cities of tomorrow. Presentations led by the NCF, its members and like-minded urban innovators will orient conversations towards new replicable solutions, best practices and fertile areas for innovation.

“We are thrilled to hold our first ever New Cities Summit in Paris-La Défense and are

especially pleased to have the support of Mayor Delanoë”, said Mathieu Lefevre, Executive Director of NCF. “The Foundation believes that building more sustainable and dynamic urban communities can only be achieved through new forms of partnership, and the New Cities Summit will be a unique opportunity to develop new models of collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors and civil society.”

Mayor Delanoë commented, “On behalf of Paris, I’m pleased to welcome this important summit which will enable all stakeholders involved in urbanization to examine the future of the world’s cities. This event is about dialogue and innovation aimed at improving the day-to-day of our cities’ residents.”

The New Cities Foundation has launched a series of research initiatives around the globe which will contribute content to May’s Summit. These include Task Forces on connected commuting in San Jose, California, on e-health in Rio de Janeiro and on a ‘smarter’ public sector in the UK. In mid-December, the Foundation will be hosting an event on Urban China in Beijing.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world.

For media inquiries, please call Anja McKinnon at +44 (0)7926 051360 or email anjak.mckinnon@mslgroup.com

Or find us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Cities-Foundation/136152139746668

And http://twitter.com/#!/newcitiesfound

Rio de Janeiro, December 9th – The New Cities Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to urban innovation in 21^st century cities globally,  is launching a pioneering project to improve access to healthcare for residents of Dona Marta, with the support of the Secretariat for Healthcare of the City of Rio de Janeiro.

Together, NCF members GE, the Secretariat for Healthcare of the City of Rio, Cisco, Orange, the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Fiocruz and the SENSEable City Lab at MIT met this week at Rio City Hall and in Dona Marta to launch the initiative.

This project will be hosted in the favela of Dona Marta, a low income neighborhood in the center of Rio, where health services are concentrated in one public medical center, the Clínica da Família. From the first half of 2012 onwards, NCF will deploy state of the art mobile healthcare technology to test the impact this technology can have on the delivery of healthcare to underserved communities.

The New Cities Foundation’s taskforce will provide mobile health equipment to monitor the population’s health with the help of trained-professionals. The initiative will test a new model of healthcare delivery which should specifically benefit patients with limited mobility, those suffering from chronic diseases and patients unaware of their right to medical care- i.e. those currently at the fringe of the health system. Community workers will also be given simple digital tablets to collect information on each patient, providing interesting data on the potential for replacing existing inefficient paper-based health records.

Mathieu Lefevre, Executive Director of NCF said, “The New Cities Foundation believes improving access to health particularly for underserved communities is one of the most crucial challenges facing cities worldwide and this is an area where IT-based innovations can make a radical change. We are delighted to bring together a rich community of international and Brazilian partners to address this issue in a city as dynamic as Rio.”

Dr Hans Dohmann, Secretary for Health and Civil Defense of the City of Rio de Janeiro, commented, “We welcome opportunities like this to partner with global leaders on initiatives to see how technology can improve the health of our population. Rio has a rapidly aging population with limited mobility and health problems, similar to many cities in Brazil and other developed and emerging countries, and hence it is imperative that we develop new solutions that make the better use of technology.”

After the pilot period, the New Cities Foundation hopes to provide a useful case study for a scalable and replicable e-health model that can be applied to other areas of Rio, to other cities in Brazil and around the world.

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world. NCF hosts a series of Task Forces and a major global event which will take place next year, the New Cities Summit.

For more information, please visit the NCF website.www.newcitiesfoundation.org and follow NCF on Twitter @newcitiesfound and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Cities-Foundation/136152139746668

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Task Force members include NCF Founding Member Ericsson, San Jose’s Department of Transportation, the University of Berkeley, MIT, Orange Telecom and two start-up mobile phone app companies, Waze and Roadify.

By setting up a social network of commuters in the Bay Area who share the same daily commute routes, the study will investigate what kinds of information commuters share with each other when they are connected to one another other real time. Based on this examination of commuter behavior, the Task Force hopes to spur innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance commuting.

Participants came in from Stockholm, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, New York and Washington, DC to attend the meeting.

According to Mathieu Lefevre, Executive Director of NCF, “We are excited to be here in San Jose to launch this great project. Commuting and mobility are among the most important issues facing cities here in California and across the globe. We believe this initiative will encourage collaborative thinking among the private, public and academic sectors and generate ideas that will apply whether you are in San Jose, Singapore or Sao Paolo”.

“The massive population growth of future cities is a great challenge,” said Patrik Cerwall, Director of Strategic Marketing, Ericsson. “Commuting is just one issue, but an important one. As a part of this task force, we are excited to look more deeply into the application of social and mobile as a way of improving the lives of city commuters.”

About the New Cities Foundation: The New Cities Foundation is a Swiss non-profit institution which aims to be the premier high-level platform for innovation and exchange on the future of urbanization. NCF believes the unprecedented rate of urban growth that defines the 21st century represents a unique set of challenges as well as a chance to build more sustainable, vibrant, innovative and equitable communities in the developed and the emerging world. NCF hosts a series of Task Forces and a major global event which will take place next year, the New Cities Summit.

For more information, telephone + 1 (917) 846 6159 or email contact@newcitiesfoundation.org

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• The New Cities Foundation brings together leading global players from the private, public, research and non‐profit sectors to work on new models of collaboration to improve life and work in the 21st century city, with a focus on fast‐urbanizing countries in Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa.
• Founding Members are GE, Cisco and Ericsson. Wim Elfrink, Executive Vice President and Chief Globalisation Officer of Cisco says “the New Cities Foundation is a unique new venture, bringing together decision‐makers who share a desire to innovate, exchange and make a difference”. Nani Beccalli‐Falco, President and CEO GE Europe and North Asia says, “GE believes the Foundation’s goals align well with GE’s strategy”. Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Function Sales and Marketing calls this “a much‐needed new global platform for creative exchanges on 21st century cities.”
• The New Cities Summit, the Foundation’s flagship conference, will take place in an Asian city in late 2011 or early 2012.

The launch of the New Cities Foundation, a non‐profit independent organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, was announced today. The Foundation is the premier global independent platform for high‐level exchange among the private, public, academic and non‐profit sectors to improve the quality of life and work in new cities of the 21st century.

The New Cities Foundation develops new models of partnership among high‐level thought leaders in the fields of technology, energy, sustainability, infrastructure, telecoms, transport, finance, architecture, design, public policy and research.

For the first time in our history, the majority of humans now live in cities. Cities in China, India and across Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa, in particular, are experiencing unprecedented rates of urban growth. Cities worldwide are growing at the rate of two new inhabitants per second. That is equivalent to a city of the size of Salt Lake City, every day.

This major global phenomenon comes with complex challenges on issues such as environmental sustainability, energy, transport and social cohesion. Thanks in part to technological advances, this urban future also presents great opportunities to create more sustainable, dynamic and equitable communities.

New Cities Foundation Members

The Foundation’s membership is open to companies, cities and local governments, leading research institutions and non‐profits who share the vision of NCF. The Foundation is entirely funded by its members.

The Foundation’s first Founding Members are GE, Cisco and Ericsson and members include global leaders such as Orange (France Telecom), GDF Suez, New York University’s Wagner School as well as the Gateway House think‐tank in India.

“Ericsson is very pleased to be a Founding Member of the New Cities Foundation, a much‐needed new global platform for creative exchanges on 21st century cities,” said Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Function Sales and Marketing of Ericsson. “The Foundation’s Task Forces and the New Cities Summit are unique ways for Ericsson to work with and learn from a range of new partners, to challenge ourselves to innovate ‐ thereby growing our business in a way that serves our customers and cities worldwide. We look forward to this exciting relationship.”

Ferdinando Beccalli‐Falco, President and CEO GE Europe and North Asia said, “GE is the world’s leading infrastructure company with a committed objective to take on the toughest global challenges. We welcome the formation of The New Cities Foundation and believe that the Foundation’s goals align well with our strategy to bring finance and innovative technology solutions in mobility, clean energy, water and healthcare to cities and metropolises around the world.”

“The world is going through massive rebalancing of wealth, knowledge and resources as a result of major demographic shifts. Most of the world’s population now live in cities and we at Cisco see these transitions as a tremendous opportunity to transform physical communities to connected communities, using network as a platform, to enable economic, social and environmental sustainability,” said Wim Elfrink, Executive Vice President and Chief Globalisation Officer of Cisco.

He added “the New Cities Foundation is a unique new venture, bringing together decision‐makers who share a desire to innovate, exchange and make a difference. We are proud to be Founding Members of the New Cities Foundation and look forward to the first New Cities Summit and to leading an exciting Task Force with the Foundation.”

Gerard Mestrallet, CEO of GDF SUEZ said “The value of a sustainable city is its capacity to adapt and to transform itself over time, to its quality of life, to the efficiency of its buildings, to the fluidity of its networks, to its safety and to the different uses of it’s space. The transformation of urban space will be extensive. GDF SUEZ intends to meet this challenge.”

“The world’s fast‐growing cities of the 21st century represent great challenges for all of us, with a strong need for livability and sustainability,” comments Vivek Badrinath, Senior Vice President of France Telecom Orange and CEO of Orange Business Services. “As a member of the New Cities Foundation, Orange is committed to accompany these challenges and to bring its expertise in new network, IT and communications solutions. This is already what Orange Business Services is bringing to the Middle East, in the new downtown Beirut, the future financial district in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, or for The Pearl project in Qatar. Next generation cities are on the horizon and innovative collaboration is essential in bringing them to fruition.”

Ellen Schall, Dean of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University said, “NYU Wagner and New Cities Foundation share a common belief in the power of collaboration ‐ the need to unite sectors to jointly develop fresh, bold solutions to increasingly complex problems facing cities around the world.”

The New Cities Summit

The Foundation will host the New Cities Summit – the premier global event for high‐level exchange and innovation on the future or urbanization. This invitation‐only forum will bring together the top globally recognized names in this field ‐ CEOs, ministers, mayors, world renowned researchers for a 3‐day content‐rich discussion.

The inaugural Summit is scheduled to take place during the last quarter of 2011 or the first quarter of 2012 in a city in Asia. An announcement will be made shortly in partnership with the host city.

Task Forces: concrete innovation in cities

The New Cities Foundation has launched a number of Task Forces, each one led by a Founding Member, to explore innovative solutions in pilot cities. These projects will help shape the best urban practices of tomorrow. Each Task Force brings together the Foundation’s diverse membership working in a creative and collaborative process. Current Task Forces are focusing on complex urban challenges such as mobility and transport, intelligent public buildings, waste management and e‐ health. Using a range of multimedia tools, these real‐world applications will be widely shared, among others during the New Cities Summit.