Baltimore - Regional Plan Association and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy convened more than one hundred civic and business leaders in "Charm City" on February 29th to develop an action agenda to address the economic, transportation, environmental and housing challenges facing the Northeast and the nation at the 2nd Northeast Climate and Competitiveness Summit.  The Greater Baltimore Committee, Select Greater Philadelphia, The Chesapeake Crescent Initiative, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at University of Maryland and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability were co-sponsors of the event.  

The Summit featured keynotes from Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania (above) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer from Oregan (below).  Blumenauer spoke about the need for federal leadership in addressing national infrastructure challenges with 21st century solutions and discussed a specific proposal for creating a national infrastructure investment plan that would shape the federal role in transportation, water and energy infrastructure.  Rendell delivered the luncheon keynote and discussed the lack of transportation dollars and its  impact of our  failing infrastructure.  Rendell (right) is leading a parallel national infrastructure initiative with Gov. Schwarzenegger and Mayor Bloomberg called, "Build America's Future."  Other public officials who spoke included Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Maryland's Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and former Governor Parris Glendening.

The Summit's four roundtables - Northeast Corridor Mobility, Regional Landscapes and Climate Change, Local Government Forum on Climate Change, and Subprime Mortgage Crisis and Affordable Housing - were chaired by Jack Lettiere, Jack Lettiere Consulting, LLC and Former Commissioner of NJ DOT, Rob Pirani, Director of Environmental Programs at RPA, Armando Carbonell, Chairman, Department of Planning and Urban Form, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and Merilyn Rovira, Director of Housing and Community Development, Fannie Mae, respectively.