LITERATURE + LECTURES

The World Affairs Council of Houston presents Cities of the Future - Ideas for Houston from Cities of the World.

Jeb Brugmann (pictured)
Author and Executive Director (interim) of
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

We take big cities for granted today, but they are a relatively recent phenomenon. Throughout most of history people made a living from the land. The world has been rapidly urbanizing and it is estimated that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Most of this growth is occurring in population centers that are ill equipped for the pace of change. What can we learn for Houston as it grows into a global city and competes for industry and talent? What can we learn from the cities around the world?

Jeb Brugmann is author of the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World, and executive director (interim) of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. He has worked on urban development and renewal projects in forty-nine cities in twenty-one countries and has built these activities into large programs. His work and articles have won him recognition and awards from the United Nations, the European Environmental Agency, and McKinsey and Company among others. He is on the faculty of the Cambridge University Business and Environment Program, and received a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Copies of Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World will be for sale at the luncheon.