WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 26, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — DC The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has forged an exciting and unique partnership focused on the use of competitions and networks to discover and disseminate the most imaginative solutions for creating sustainable and livable communities.
The “Commitment to Action” was announced at the CGI annual meeting in New York City. Known as Innovation 10 Thousand or “I-10-K,” this CGI commitment and the supporting partnership have been crafted to develop a replicable platform to engage sustainable development innovators towards the goal of creating new housing and employment opportunities in urban locations. I-10-K is a unique collaboration between HUD, the U.S. Department of State, American Planning Association, Context Partners, X PRIZE Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Un Techo Para Mi País, and Ashoka’s Changemakers. The partners conceived of using competitions as a way of advancing housing and urban development innovations across public, private and nonprofit sectors. President Clinton has stated that he believes CGI can lift up and standardize such models, ultimately creating solutions for social and economic mega-challenges.
“Through this commitment at CGI, HUD continues to work toward being a world leader in the development of sustainable communities. This partnership reflects an ongoing desire to engage sustainable development innovators from throughout the world, with the goal of creating new, cutting edge, high quality urban housing and employment opportunities,” said Dr. Raphael Bostic, HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
The need for sustainable communities throughout the world has never been greater, as half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and, according to the United Nations, it is projected that by 2050, three out of four people in the world will live in cities. HUD’s Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation and Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities came together with the State Department and its partners to create new ways of finding innovations, sharing them on a global stage and influencing U.S. domestic products, policies and processes for creating livable, inclusive and sustainable communities.
Building on the success of the recent Sustainable Urban Housing: Collaborating for Livable and Inclusive Cities competition, “I-10-K” will further lift sustainable housing and urban development innovations in three ways: 1) A competition model for sourcing large-scale, multi-location sustainable housing solutions; 2) an in-country training and technical assistance program for innovators and their partners; and 3) an online community to further deepen collaboration and to continually engage new partners. This commitment focuses on using housing as a platform for creating inclusive and sustainable urban communities and will surface innovations to guide domestic housing and urban development policies.
For more information about CGI and the I-10-K Commitment to Action, please visit: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/commitments/commitments_search.asp?id=732504 .
ABOUT CGI
The mission of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is to inspire, connect, and empower a community of global leaders to forge solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
By fostering partnerships, providing strategic advice, and driving resources toward effective ideas, CGI helps its members – organizations from the private sector, public sector, and civil society – maximize their efforts to alleviate poverty, create a cleaner environment, and increase access to health care and education.
Since CGI was established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, its Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective non-governmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion.
The 2011 Annual Meeting took place Sept. 20-22 in New York City. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the
need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and
http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at
www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s News Listserv.
Contact:
George I. Gonzalez
(202) 708-0685