Twenty-four of the 129 applications from cities across the Americas were selected to participate in the Cities Forward Program, a flagship urban sustainability initiative dedicated to assisting Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and U.S. cities in their commitment toward sustainability, resilience, and inclusion.
The selection process was led by the U.S. Department of State, ICLEI USA, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and the Institute of the Americas. “We are heartened by the overwhelming level of interest, which serves as a powerful testament to the significance of our joint efforts to foster equitable and inclusive sustainable urban development,” stated Angie Fyfe, ICLEI USA Executive Director.
The 24 selected city participants will soon enter into a two-year dynamic, collaborative effort while working with a pair city to share experiences in their priority areas of interest, such as extreme heat, circularity and plastic pollution control, renewable energy, and mobility.
Here is the list of selected city participants:
- Ambato, Ecuador + Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cali, Colombia + Baltimore, Maryland
- Cartagena, Colombia + Denver, Colorado
- Fortaleza, Brazil + Hawai`i County, Hawai`i
- Freeport, Bahamas + Coral Springs, Florida
- Guatemala City, Guatemala + Dallas, Texas
- Hermosillo, México + Dubuque, Iowa
- Manaus, Brasil + Stockton, California
- Mérida, México + Austin & Travis County, Texas
- Montego Bay, Jamaica + Hoboken, New Jersey
- Renca, Chile + Evanston, Illinois
After the two-year program, LAC cities will have high-impact, financeable project action plans based on shared insights from their collaborations with the U.S. cities, regional consultants, and the project team.
The cities that were not selected are eligible to participate in the virtual Cities Forward Academy to learn about the outcomes and best practices of the 12 city pairs.
Launched at the Cities Summit of the Americas, City Forward Program has drawn broad attention for its innovative focus on land-based green infrastructure prioritizing low-income populations and areas. Working hand in hand with the leading global sustainability network ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, including ICLEI USA, ICLEI South America and ICLEI Mexico, Central America & Caribbean, and the trusted Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC), this initiative aims to boost sustainable urban development, address the cities’ sustainability challenges, fortify resilience, and drive local action.
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