The School of Public Affairs bridges the Atlantic as host of 2013 Transatlantic Dialogue.

The School of Public Affairs bridges the Atlantic.

The School of Public and International Affairs proudly hosts the 9th Transatlantic Dialogue: Rebuilding Capacities for Urban Governance, June 12-15, 2013, at the University of Baltimore.

Patria Julnes, UB professor and director of the Doctor of Public Administration program, co-chairs the conference along with Ellen Wayenberg of Ghent University, Belgium, and Martin Laffin of Queen Mary University of London.

For the first time in human history more people across the world are living in urban than in rural areas. This massive urban concentration creates great opportunities for economic growth and social progress but also poses challenging questions about the capacities of existing urban governance structures. Most metropolitan areas face complex and interrelated problems ranging from urban decay and environmental disasters to protest movements and rising social disorder and crime. Despite these social problems and tightening fiscal pressures, many cities have been able to leverage innovations that promote economic growth and development that extend to their surrounding regions and countries.

The 9th Transatlantic Dialogue seeks to bring together scholars and practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic to exchange ideas about how to help city governments develop the capacity to manage contemporary problems and take advantage of opportunities in an increasingly globalized environment. Neal Peirce, chair of Citistates Group and American journalist who focuses on metropolitan regions, provides the keynote address.

The dialogue is a joint initiative of the European Group of Public Administration and the American Society for Public Administration. Six workshops will explore the theme of urban governance:

• All politics is global: urban issues, solutions and outcomes in a multileveled, networked globalized society
• How do we know we're "improving" governance?: Representing the public interest in pluralistic, urban societies
• Remaining competitive: managing performance for efficient and effective urban service delivery
• Leveraging urban partnerships: Universities and other nongovernmental organizations as change agents in urban communities
• Cities of the future: How can technology make urban living and governance smarter?
• Do pro-business policies improve urban fiscal health?: Revisiting the orthodox view of urban public finance by improving financial management

View the flyer.