The Mega-Cities Project: About Us

Consulting Experience (partial list)

2006 - SEDESOL, Mexican Ministry of Housing & Urban Development

2006 - World Development Report: Focus on Youth, World Bank

2005 - Slums Taskforce, Millennium Development Goals, UN

2005 - UNFPA, with CIESIN & the 21st Century Cities Project of The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Project on Population, the Urban Poor & the Role of Women in Sustainable Development

2004 - Research Div. of the General Consul's Office in Rio de Janeiro, Comparisons Among World Cities on Legal Aspects of Land Use, Housing, Environment & Security (conjunction with Mega-Cities Project)

1998 - Screenscope, "The Urban Explosion," 1 hour segment of 3-part television program, Journey to Planet Earth, Scientific Advisor

1991 - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Consultation on Urban Agenda for the 1990's

1991-93 - New York Hall of Science: "Science City Project".

1990 - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Alternative Approaches to Developing Policy-Making Capacities

1990 - World Bank: Consultant on Urban Policy Paper, "Structural Adjustment & Sustainable Growth: The Urban Agenda for the 1990's"

1988 - The Group for Integrated Development of Greater Havana, Cuba

1987 - U.S. Agency for Int'l. Development (USAID), Kingston, Jamaica: Study of Informal Sector Housing

1986 - U.N. Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA): Expert on Migration Policies & Urban Future

Speaking Engagements (2000-present)

University of British Columbia, "Developing the Settlement as Community" , Vancouver, Nov. 6, 2006

Yale University, Ctr. for Latin American Studies, " The Human Condition in Brazilian Cities", Oct. 19, 2006

Women's Leadership Forum, "Policy Priorities for a World of Mega-Cities", Deauville, France, Oct. 5, 2006

UNU-WIDER Conference (United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics Research),"The Impact of Globalization on the Urban Poor", Rio de Janeiro, Sept. 23, 2006

World Urban Forum, "The Future of Cities", Vancouver, BC, June 23, 2006

LASA ( Latin American Studies Assn) "Democratic Brazil Revisited", March 16, 2006

Debates Urbanos, United Nations, Feb. 22, 2006

Inter-American Development Bank, "Territorial Strategies for Integrated Policy", Social Development Week, Oct. 26, 2005

SAIS-John's Hopkins, Class on "Urban Poverty in Latin America: Re-Thinking Policy Options, Oct 14, 2005

World Bank "Policy Roundtable on the Policy Implications of Rio Favela Re-Study," Washington D.C, Brasilia, and Bahia. June 9, 2005

UNFPA, Columbia University (Columbia University's Earth Institute and the Mega-Cities Project), "Workshop on Population, the Urban Poor and Sustainable Development " June 2-3, 2005

CUNY Graduate Center, "Tribute to Albert Bildner, New York. Panelist with Thomas Skidmore and Kathleen Waldron, June 2, 2005

UN Habitat NGO Forum, New York. "The Dynamics of Urban Poverty and Implications for Urban Public Policy " May 10, 2005

Prefeitura Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Estudos, Procuradodria, " Favelas do Rio nos Ultimos 35 Anos: O Que Mudou? O Que Esta Sendo Feito?" , March 16, 2005

World Bank Institute Leadership Team, "Findings and Policy Implications of Longitudinal Multi-Generational Data Analysis on Rio's Poor" , Feb. 23

World Bank Poverty and Development Economic Research Group, "Chronic Poverty and Social Mobility, Feb. 2, 2005

Columbia University, " Mega-Cities and the Global Future" January 31, 2005

Woodrow Wilson Center, "The Myth of Marginality Re-Visited 30 Years Later", Dec.1, 2004

World Bank Institute "Leadership and Innovations in Subnational Government: Case Studies from Latin America". Panelist with Katherine Sierra, Tim E. Campbell, Fernando Rojas, November 11, 2004

DIMSUD International Conference "Sustainability and Urban Growth in Developing Countries," Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland, Oct. 31-Nov. 4, 2004

Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, "Comparative Urban Development and the Efficacy of Planning," Washington DC., Oct.15, 2004

Institute for Work and Society (IETS), "Analytical and Methodological Issues in Measuring Social/Geographical Mobility," with Ignacio Cano and Valeria Pero, Rio de Janeiro, August 24, 2004

City Government of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Urbanism and Environment, "Violence, Democracy and Vulnerability", Rio de Janeiro, July 29, 2004

IBASE, Favela e Cidade: Nao a Remocao, "Lessons from Squatter Removal Policies" RJ, July 8, 2004.
SUNY Stoney Brook, "Reframing Inequality in Latin America", Manhattan, April 23, 2004

Millennium Development Task Force on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers, "What Do We Know To Date?" UN, NYC, April 19-20, 2004

University of Massachusetts, Brazil in Bold: Dialogues Across Disciplines, "Urban Citizenship and Marginality", Amherst, Feb. 13-14, 2004

World Bank Urban Research Symposium, "Livelihoods, Poverty and Social Mobility," Dec. 15 - 17, 2003

University of Connecticut, Mead Lecture, "Marginality from Myth to Reality: Favelas in Rio de Janeiro, 1969-2003," Storrs, CT, October 16, 2003

Inter-American Development Bank Symposium "Poverty, Gender, and Race in Brazil", October 7, 2003

Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Workshop on Urban Poverty in Latin America, "Marginality Exclusion and Stigma", Washington, DC, September 17, 2003

Joint DPU-ODI-DFID-WORLD BANK Workshop on Urban Longitudinal Research Methodology, "Longi-tudinal Panel Studies: Lessons from a Re-Study of Rio's Favelas 1969-2003," London, May 28-29, 2003

The Second Annual Glocalization Forum, "Cross-cultural and Transnational Collaboration and Partnership: The Experience of the Mega-Cities Project," Rome, May 24-26, 2003

Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, International Conference on "Chronic Poverty and Development Policy" keynote speaker, Manchester, England, April 7-9, 2003

Latin American Studies Association (LASA), Panel on "Marginality in Comparative Perspective: The 1960's and the New Poverty," ( organized by LARR, Peter Ward) Dallas, TX, March 26-29, 2003

Projecto Cities, "Building Solidarity: Linking Cities, Citizens and Innovations," Zaragosa, Spain, December 14-17, 2002

UC Berkeley-DCRP/IURD "Returning to Rio's Favelas: Poverty and Marginality," November 25, 2002

Brazil Project at Columbia University, "The Metamorphosis of Marginality-The Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: 1969-2002)," Columbia University, NY, November 14, 2002

University of Pennsylvania, "Structural Adjustment and Social Response in Urban Latin America," Mellon Foundation Series, Philadelphia, Pa. November 4, 2002

Institute for Work and Society (IETS), "Demystifying the Favelas," Rio de Janeiro, July 19, 2002.

Bildner Center Conference on New Approaches to Social Reform, Poverty and the Welfare State in Brazil," New York City, April 8-9, 2002

Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Meeting on Brazilian Metropolitan Regions, "Educational and Occupational Mobility in Rio de Janeiro," Rio de Janeiro, March 2002

Latin American Studies Association (LASA), Panel on Integrated Urban Development in Havana, "Origins of the Neighborhood Workshops,, Washington DC, September 6-9, 2001

American Sociological Association (ASA), " Coming to the City, Migration and Urbanization", Anaheim, CA, August 17-19, 2001

American Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), Panel on Latin American Cities, "The Dynamics of the Urban Poor and Implications for Public Policy," Atlanta, GA, November 3-5, 2000

Hixon Center at Yale University, "Environment and Mega- Cities," New Haven, CT, April 10, 2000

Mead Lecture at Trinity College, "Mega-Cities and Our Global Future," Hartford, CT, April 7, 2000

Contract Research

Hewlett Foundation for "Science & Decision-Making Project," New York Academy of Sciences

Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation for "Science City Project," New York Academy of Sciences

Revson Foundation and Community Service Society for "New York Community Board Study," 1981

Russell Sage Foundation for "Decentralized Government and Neighborhood Movements: A Study of NYC's Community Boards," 1981

French Foreign Ministry Social Science Exchange Award for "Urban Social Movements," 1980

Training & Capacity-Building

2004 - Livre Pensar Social, (Popular Leaders from Rio's Poor Communities), "The Research, Learning, Action Connection," Caixa Economica & City of God Leadership Forum, Aug. 19, 2004.

2002 - Fundacao Joao Pinheiro with WBI: "Poverty, Inequality & Local Government" Training for urban mayors, managers, planners & practitioners, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

2002 - World Bank Institute: Urban & City Management Core Course for City Managers & Mayors, Toronto.

1997 - USIA Lecture Series: Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, & Rio de Janeiro, keynote for conference on "Sustainable Development & Quality of Life in Cities."

1997 - UNDP Global Technical Assistance Unit: Training for national & local-level urban planners & decision-makers.

1992 - Kellogg Foundation: Grassroots Leadership Development: N.Y. & L.A.: Strengthening Civil Society.

1992 - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID RHUDO): Training for Urban Ministers on Housing & the Informal Sector: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil & Cali, Colombia