Cities Forward
Commitment to Action
The Cities Forward program, a collaborative partnership of the U.S. Department of State, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and The Institute of the Americas provides peer-to-peer exchange, capacity building, and diplomatic engagement, all focused on implementing projects that solve critical urban challenges around sustainability, inclusivity, and resiliency.
This transformative program will help Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) cities create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures with knowledge sharing from U.S. cities.
Our Goal
We will help participating cities implement local solutions and priority projects to increase investments across urban challenges that promote and build:
- sustainability
- inclusivity
- local capacity, and
- neighborhood and community resilience
By collaborating with our Western Hemisphere neighbors, we seek to build equitable and inclusive economic opportunities, strengthen sustainability, and promote a healthy environment for all. Explore the Cities Forward Fact Sheet in Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Informational Webinar & FAQ Sheet
Explore the Cities Forward FAQ webinars and FAQ sheets to learn more about the initiative’s goals, objectives, and U.S./LAC city’s application process.
Our Principles
These three key principles will guide Cities Forward:
- City-led: local stakeholders will lead action plan design and local project implementation.
- Inclusive: actions taken must benefit the cities’ poor, underserved, and underrepresented residents.
- Sustainable: solutions must be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Program Elements
Cities Forward focuses on solving key sustainability, equity, and resilience issues through interconnected activities:
How to Apply
If your local government wants to apply to Cities Forward, please use the application form for your region. Applications for the Cities Forward Open Call must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time on Thursday, June 15, 2023.
For any questions, please email citiesforwardUSA@iclei.org (U.S cities) or citiesforwardLAC@iclei.org (LAC cities).
Timeline
Meet Your Project Team
The Cities Forward logo includes artwork from the Cities Summit of the Americas logo designed by Daniela Portugal Escalante of La Paz, Bolivia, with additional typographical design by Alex Quinto, a design advisor for Resilient Cities Catalyst from Mexico City.