Washington, DC

Friday, November 04, 2011

On November 17, 2011, Pedro Ortiz, Senior Advisor to the World Bank, will discuss the global challenge from the urban growth explosion and the business opportunities for those who can help cities and nations affected by burgeoning populations.

With the 7 billion person milestone having just been reached, more than half in cities, this topic is of vital importance to every person concerned about the sustainable future of our planet.

The program, organized by the Wharton B-School Club of DC's Green Business Roundtable, will be held at the offices of Steptoe & Johnson, 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. It will begin at 11:30 am and end at 1:00 pm, and includes lunch, the program, and networking.

******Did you know?

More than half of the world's population of 7 billion people now lives in cities. Some of these cities are growing at a rate of over 5 percent per year, which means they've doubled in the past 14 years.

*****The dilemma:

This urban explosion must be managed. If not, these metropolitan areas will become economically and environmentally, and perhaps even politically, unsustainable. If long-range planning isn't implemented now, they won't have the capability to function as capital cities or major population centers of their countries.

*****The outcome:

City governments lack the knowledge and the mythology to be able to plan for this explosive growth. If the infrastructure isn't set in place and now, these nations are doomed to remain marginalized and underdeveloped, with the probable outcome of metastasizing into slums for the foreseeable future.

*****What you can do, and how you and your organization may benefit:

Join us to meet and to discuss the situation with Pedro Ortiz, the recognized global leader in this area of urban development. He's successfully formulated a forecasting model and specific ways to combat the increasingly perilous situation.

Because of the immediate necessity of establishing sufficient infrastructure, there will be business opportunities for many companies and other entities. Viable long-term urban development plans must be implemented for society's future. Señor Ortiz will discuss these opportunities.

About our Esteemed Speaker:

Pedro Ortiz joined the World Bank in January 2011 as Senior Advisor to develop strategic guidelines for Urban, Metropolitan and Global Development Issues. He is currently spearheading proposals in 12 countries in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Mr. Ortiz pioneered a metropolitan development methodology, with an expansion model that takes into account projected growth for the next 40 years. The principles were derived from data documenting the world's metropolitan expansion in population and wealth. These factors make it imperative to lay the groundwork for long-term urban development, focusing on infrastructure, housing and transportation, social facilities, economic development and environmental sustainability.

In addition, Mr. Ortiz is Vice President of INTA, the International Urban Development Association http://www.inta-aivn.org/ He has served as a consultant to the European Union, the United Nations and ten countries throughout the world. He has been involved in identifying specialists, who can analyze and formulate development solutions for INTA's 2600 members from 60 countries and their administrations.

For further details or to register, go to http://www.WhartonDC.com

Alan N. Schlaifer

President & CEO

Wharton School Club of Washington

Bethesda, MD

301-365-8999