About the Author: Leah Severino is a Pickering Fellow at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Eleven finalists from the global competition, “Sustainable Urban Housing: Collaborating for Livable and Inclusive Cities,” participated in the first Learning Summit and Award Ceremony this week at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. This competition was launched in anticipation of the 2012 Summit of the Americas in Colombia, and in support of President Obama’s Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA). It brought together a diverse group, including individuals from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Rockefeller Foundation, Ashoka Changemakers, and the American Planning Association, with support from the Brazilian Ministry of Cities.

Practitioners from the public and private sectors exchanged ideas about the challenges of urbanization. Capacity building sessions, mentoring opportunities, and… more »