Dear friends and colleagues,
The Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU) is delighted to present our new brand identity.
Since our founding in 2008, we have been committed to promoting a better understanding of the role of sustainable urbanization and resilient design in the planning of our cities. And while our new identity signifies a fresh start, we remain dedicated to advocacy for housing, healthcare, transportation, and energy, along with planning and design that increases human dignity and well-being.
In sharpening our mission and rethinking our position in the urban sustainability conversation, we will redouble our focus on action and implementation and reflect this dynamism with our new branding.
Our agenda for the week of March 20th is exciting because of our new partnerships and new initiatives. We are proud of our future and continued work with the World Urban Campaign, Habitat Professionals Forum, our Green Cities Program, ongoing collaborations with our many partners, including UN-Habitat, and special programs focused on youth and gender. We invite your support in maximizing impact with these programs.
We are happy to synchronize our new brand initiation with the UN 2023 Water Conference, World Water Day, and New York Water Week, featuring six events that we will be leading or supporting and that collectively mark our flagship programming for the year.
The UN 2023 Water Conference will deliver a Water Action Agenda containing new commitments, pledges, and actions by governments and other stakeholders to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, The CSU will spotlight sustainable urbanization as a way to achieve SDG 6, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and all of the SDGs.
New York Water Week is organized by the Government of the Netherlands and the City of New York in support of the UN 2023 Water Conference. While it takes place in New York City, many activities can be followed online. Join in for a week of debates, films, workshops, and high-level discussions from March 22nd to 24th. See the full program and register here.
Join the CSU at one of these six events:
On Tuesday, the 21st of March, we will be kicking off New York Water Week with the live event Water, Youth and Heritage Dialogue: Connecting Past, Present and Future organized by International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) along with Columbia University’s Center for Buildings, Infrastructure, and Public Space (CBIPS) and the CSU.
Our second event is Reflections on Women, Water, Culture and Education Past, Present and Future organized by the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) in collaboration with CBIPS and the CSU and taking place at Columbia University on Wednesday, March 22.
On Thursday, the 23rd of March, the CSU will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of its collaboration with UN-Habitat, AIANY, and our other partners. We will honor exceptional individuals who engage with issues critical to sustainable urbanization at the CSU Awards Gala taking place at The Century Association.
On Friday, the 24th by Resilience Tour of Hunters Point South: Waterfront Development That Stands the Test of Time, a walking tour organized by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) providing a close-up look at climate-resilient and responsible waterfront design and development.
Finally, also on Friday, March 24th, is the program A City-basin Approach to Water Security in Africa: Solutions and Commitments co-sponsored by UCLG Africa, OECD and the CSU, taking place at UN Headquarters.
Lastly, please don’t hesitate to reach out with your thoughts and comments, connect with us on social media, and join the conversation. We want to hear from you.
I hope to see you at one of our events,
Rick Bell, FAIA
CSU President