National League of Cities Announces Tour on Using Sustainable Infrastructure to Drive Economic Competitiveness

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Jun 28, 2011, 02:58 ET

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National League of Cities (NLC) announces "Building Cities, Building Futures," a national tour centering on sustainable infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth. Sponsored by Siemens, the tour will bring together local business, community and governmental leaders to discuss how to effectively plan and prioritize funding and the options available to promote resiliency and create jobs.

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The tour will start in Houston on July 14, and then visit Los Angeles, Charlotte and Chicago over the next few months.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell and Deputy Secretary of Transportation, John D. Porcari, will headline the tour by holding discussions on the infrastructure needs of the nation and how to encourage private investment and development.

"We must get serious about addressing our infrastructure needs if the United States is to remain economically competitive with the rest of the world," said Governor Rendell. "It's not just about more infrastructure investments – it's about smarter investments. It's about greater accountability and transparency so that the right projects are completed the right way, achieve specific outcomes and deliver the greatest economic returns. It's also about embracing and rewarding innovation that so often starts in many of our states and cities."

"The nation needs to invest in critical infrastructure to meet the needs of today's challenging economy," said James E. Mitchell Jr., President, National League of Cities and Councilmember, Charlotte, N.C. "On the local level, communities need to address their own infrastructure dilemmas if they are to compete in the global market. The tour is a significant opportunity for local communities and their stakeholders to establish dialogue and develop solutions surrounding local infrastructure issues."

The sessions will include discussions that correspond directly to the infrastructure needs of the local community. The tour will also focus on the need for effective regional collaboration to solve pressing infrastructure needs.

"We have seen, first-hand, how focusing on sustainability in your infrastructure will pay off over the long run. Not only will the environmental impacts be lessened, we've seen sustainable solutions be the driver of new development and, most importantly, new jobs," said Daryl Dulaney, President and CEO of Siemens Industry, Inc. "We believe this is important insight for today's cities, and we're proud to bring these perspectives together."

Members of the media are invited to attend portions of the event. For more information, please contact Gregory Minchak.

About the National League of Cities

The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

About the NLC Center for Research and Innovation

The Center for Research & Innovation strives to strengthen communities, transform and improve cities, and assist city leaders, by knowing and learning about cities; identifying and sharing promising city practices; fostering effective solutions and innovation; and challenging cities and city leaders to lead. The center's program areas – finance, economic development, government & civic engagement, housing & community development, immigrant integration, infrastructure and sustainability – provide an organizing framework through which city leaders can evaluate activities, plan comprehensively for the future, set goals and measure progress.

About Siemens

Siemens is a global leader in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C., Siemens in the USA employs more than 60,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

www.nlc.org

SOURCE National League of Cities