We had the opportunity to join participants from POCACITO in Germany tours at the American Planners Association’s National Planning Conference in New Orleans. It was both motivating and humbling to hear how the concept and execution of the POCACITO programs are helping to shape the future of urban sustainability. We want to congratulate all POCACITO participants who organized, led, and joined sessions at the conference. It was great to see so many POCACITO in Germany participants leading the national discussions about our sustainable urban future.

Kelly Pflicke (2017) organized and presented at a session on collaborative and cross-sector approaches support resilience in planning for climate change with a particular focus on US coastal communities. Max Gruenig moderated the discussion.

Katie Walsh (2016) took part in a session on the intersection of urban climate mitigation strategies and finance, capturing an essential aspect of the recognized path forward for implementing effective adaptation projects.

Liz Compitello’s (2017) work leading the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s efforts to leverage regional collaboration in implementing local solutions to increase energy efficiency and cost savings was a session centerpiece.

Richard Lawrence, Mike Swidrak, and Katie Gerbes (2017) organized and led a session specifically relating how international collaboration can inform and inspire new approaches to sustainable urban planning, citing specific examples from their experiences from the POCACITO in Germany tour. Brendan O’Donnell and Max Gruenig also participated in the forum.

We didn’t waste a moment of our time in the Big Easy. We took in some history, checked out the reality, celebrated Earth Day, and met new friends. And, of course, we ate very well. Thanks to everyone for making us feel so welcome and showing us the amazing grassroots sustainability efforts by and for the people of New Orleans. Maybe you’ve heard… New Orleans is now a POCACITO in the US city. We’ll be there this fall, tentatively scheduled for the first week in October, to continue the conversation. See you then!