From climate change to poverty reduction, 2015 is a year of immense opportunity to advance progress on sustainable transport and inclusive cities. Heads of state, mayors, and global leaders will convene in Washington, D.C., to discuss policies and opportunities for unlocking smart and sustainable urban growth.

Cities—expected to house 66% of the world’s population by 2050—are at the forefront of global efforts to boost shared prosperity and build a more sustainable future. Opportunities to transform cities worldwide are the focus of Transforming Transportation 2015, the 12th annual conference co-organized by EMBARQ, part of the World Resources Institute’s WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and the World Bank’s Transport and ICT Global Practice.

Transforming Transportation will focus on Smart Cities for Shared Prosperity and explore how pivotal moments in 2015 will impact cities and urban transport, with an emphasis on data and technology, governance, and climate change.

The conference is open to media.

Featured speakers include:

  • Felipe Calderón, former President of Mexico, current Chair, Global Commission on the Economy and Climate
  • Ashwini Chhabra, Global Head of Public Policy, Uber
  • Robin Chase, Founder of Zipcar, Buzzcar, and GoLoco
  • Michael Dixon, General Manager of Global Smarter Cities Business, IBM
  • Pierre Guislain, Senior Director of Transport and ICT, World Bank
  • Miguel Ángel Mancera, Mayor, Mexico City
  • Janette Sadik-Khan, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, current Principal, Bloomberg Associates
  • Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute
  • Jose Viegas, Secretary General, International Transport Forum

When

January 15-16, 2015

Media opportunities Thursday, January 15, 9am-12pm include:

  • 9:30am: Keynote speech by President Felipe Calderón on cities in the New Climate Economy
  • 10:00am: High level panel on the role of cities in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with mayors and international thought leaders
  • 11:15am: Media availability.

Where

World Bank
1818 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20433

See full agenda and live-streaming at www.transformingtransportation.org.

Event hashtag: #TTDC15; follow @WBG_Transport and @EMBARQNetwork

RSVP

RSVP required by January 10, 2015 to: Ryan Schleeter, ryan.schleeter@wri.org or +1 (202) 729-7705.

Speakers will be available for interviews throughout the conference, depending on their schedules. Registered journalists are encouraged to coordinate in advance with Ryan Schleeter and Mauricio Ríos for potential interviews.

Media Contacts

Ryan Schleeter, Marketing and Communications Global Coordinator, EMBARQ
ryan.schleeter@wri.org , +1 (202) 729-7705

Mauricio Ríos, Communications Officer, World Bank
mrios@worldbankgroup.org, +1 (202) 458-2458