Latin America and the Caribbean has the highest rate of urbanization in the developing world at 78% and may increase to 88% by 2050 according to forecasts by the United Nations Population Division. This phenomenon has serious implications at the political, social, economic and environmental level affecting the quality of life of its inhabitants. Rapid urbanization poses serious challenges in terms of infrastructure and housing, common spaces and sustainable transportation, the prevention and correction of pollution the disposal of industrial waste, the promotion of pollution free consumption habits, and the management of sustainable technologies. In this framework, the imperative of building sustainable cities and communities in the hemisphere was first acknowledged during the First Summit on Sustainable Development in the Americas held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in December 1996. In this context, a Plan of Action was released as one of the main outputs of this Summit. Said Plan referrers to an urgent need to move towards sustainable development by strengthening social awareness with a broad vision that promotes public participation, integration, hemispheric cooperation, equity and social justice, with special emphasis on women, children and vulnerable groups.

Through the support of the US State Department, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) through its Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) has been implementing a sustainable cities program that contributes to the sustainability and development of communities in the Americas.

In the context of the Seventh World Urban Forum recently held in Medellin, Colombia, the event aims to provide within the framework of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), a space for discussion and exchange of ideas between government representatives and other key stakeholders (IDB, WB WRI and NGOs) to promote sustainable cities and communities in the Americas and to share with the OAS member states the current status of this issue in the region, best practices, challenges and next steps in the future sustainability of cities that emerge in the Americas; Furthermore, the meeting will highlight the importance of these issues in economic development, social stability, environmental protection and governance in Cities in the Americas. The specific objectives of this exchange of experiences are:

Presentations

	Nerina Paz Lopez Chief of the Plans and Programs Department of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of the Valparaiso Region, Chile	Chile's Ministry of Housing and Urbanism	Presentation
	Claudia Adriazola Director of Health And Road Safety	World Resources Institute	Presentation
	Patricia Torres Principal Specialist of Urban Development	Inter-American Development Bank	Presentation
	Chris Pyke Vice President of Research	U.S. Green Building Council	Presentation