Below are photos from day one of Planning for Sustainable Economic Development Across the Americas.  Click on a photo to enter slideshow view.  For more information about the event, including the schedule and outcomes please see the project page.

Jaime Lerner, former Mayor of Curitiba, Governor of Parana, and founder the Urban Research and Planning Institute of Curitiba addressed the audience in a special keynote during Planning for Sustainable Development Across the Americas. Lerner shared examples from Curitiba, Rio de Janiero, and beyond - including bus rapid transit, “temporary streets”, and public space improvement as a way to improve quality of life and encourage economic growth.  Of his messages, one stood out: There are three keys for every city:  mobility, sustainability, and tolerance.

Planning for Sustainable Economic Development in the Americas kicked off this morning with presentations from Eduardo Lopes Pereira Guimaeres (City of Curitiba); W. Paul Farmer, FAICP (APA); Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development); and Cid Blanco, Jr. (Brazilian Ministry of Culture). A special lecture by Jaime Lerner followed. Stay tuned to www.ecpaplanning.org for full coverage and reports.

A new report, published by the New-York based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, asserts that many U.S. cities are “turning to BRT“ to “keep pace with public demand for new transit services.” These cities are projecting that investments in light and heavy rail may be limited by shrinking budgets and will not be sufficient to meet increased transportation demand. But the report notes the significant barriers to BRT implementation in the United States