For more information, contact:
Ellie Abrams
312/573-5516
ellie_abrams@jtpr.com
Bill Burton, UIC
312/996-2269
burton@uic.edu
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Headline UIC’s Fifth Annual
Richard J. Daley Urban Forum
2009 Forum to focus on how cities can lead the way
to a global economic recovery
CHICAGO, April 2, 2009 –– The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Daley family will host the fifth annual Richard J. Daley Urban Forum, titled “Global Economic Recovery: Cities Lead the Way.” U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will give the keynote address at this year’s Forum, which will be held on Monday, April 27 beginning at 8:30 a.m. on the UIC campus.
The Forum will bring together municipal leaders from around the world, business leaders, public officials, policymakers, leading scholars and commentators for an intimate and interactive dialogue that examines the vital role cities will play in a successful recovery from today’s global economic crisis.
Vice President Biden will be joined at the Forum by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and a rich host of panelists providing diverse perspectives about how cities are crucial to recovery, what kinds of obstacles exist and the kinds of imaginative steps cities are already taking.
“We are thrilled and honored to have Vice President Biden join us for this year’s Forum,” said Mayor Daley. “President Obama and Vice President Biden understand the great role cities play in driving the larger economy. By working collaboratively, sharing innovative ideas and unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit and imagination, cities can lead our nation to a healthy and much needed economic recovery.”
The Forum will feature three panels: “Economic Recovery and Urban
Reinvestment,” addressing the impact of national stimulus plans and regional and local initiatives on urban areas as well as key obstacles to these recovery efforts; “Economic Revitalization: Education and Healthcare,” exploring how cities––as the center of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship––can take the imaginative steps needed to climb out of today’s world recession in a way that
reaches far beyond urban areas; and a “Global Town Meeting” where mayors from more than 30 global cities will offer examples of innovative programs from their own cities in response to the global economic crisis. Panel formats are subject to change.
“The Forum has become a significant venue for the exchange of ideas and the exploration of strategies that address social and economic issues confronting urban communities in the United States and around the globe,” said UIC chancellor Paula Allen-Meares. “In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s people lived in urban areas. This global demographic change contributes to the urgency of the forum. Thus, UIC is proud to host this event.”
The current economic crisis has imperiled both public and private finance and cost millions of citizens their jobs, homes and access to healthcare and education. While cities have been among the hardest hit economically, they also contribute the majority of the world’s economic gross product and are responsible for most new job creation. Therefore, urban vitality is crucial to recovery.
Participants in this year’s Forum include Marshall M. Bouton, President, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Victoria J. Chou, Dean, College of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago; Carol Coletta, President and Chief Executive Officer, CEOs for Cities; Richard M. Daley, Mayor, City of Chicago; Bruce Katz, Vice President, Brookings Institution; Michael H. Moskow, Former President, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Senior Fellow, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Norbert Riedel, Corporate Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Baxter International, Inc. and Bernard Shaw, principal anchor emeritus, CNN.
The Urban Forum, held at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased for $25 through the Forum Web site: www.RJDUrbanForum.uic.edu. The registration fee will be waived for all UIC faculty, staff and students, as well as students from other universities. Students attending the Forum must present a valid college ID on the day of the event. The registration fee covers the event, parking, a continental breakfast and lunch. Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. Public tickets are limited due to space constraints and will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Cities expected to be represented at this year’s forum include: Algiers, Algeria; Bangkok, Thailand; Beijing, China; Belgrade, Serbia; Bogotá, Colombia; Busan, Republic of Korea; Cartagena, Colombia; Casablanca, Morocco; Chicago, USA; Doha, Qatar; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Galway, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom; Hamburg, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Kyiv, Ukraine; Lahore, Pakistan; Manila, The Philippines; Moscow, Russia; Nairobi, Kenya; Paris, France; Petach Tikva, Israel; Prague,
Czech Republic; Reykjavik, Iceland; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Shenyang, China; Soriano, Uruguay; Tripoli, Lebanon; Vilnius, Lithuania and Windsor, Canada. Participating cities are subject to change.
The 2009 Forum will be partially funded through the generosity of sponsors including American Airlines, Ariel Investments, AT&T, Bank of America, Baxter, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Boeing, The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago White Sox, DLA Piper, Exelon, Gibsons, Grosvenor Capital Management L.P., Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, The MacArthur Foundation and the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation.
Launched in 2005 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Richard J. Daley’s first inauguration as Mayor of Chicago, the Richard J. Daley forum at UIC is an annual symposium for students, scholars, public officials, civic leaders, policymakers and commentators to discuss important issues and share insights into urban history and urban studies. The activities of the Forum are linked to the Richard J. and Eleanor Daley Archive at UIC’s Richard J. Daley Library, which houses the late mayor’s paper and memorabilia.
Launched in 2005 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Richard J. Daley’s first inauguration as Mayor of Chicago, the Richard J. Daley forum at UIC is an annual symposium for students, scholars, public officials, civic leaders, policymakers and commentators to discuss important issues and share insights into urban history and urban studies. The activities of the Forum are linked to the Richard J. and Eleanor Daley Archive at UIC’s Richard J. Daley Library, which houses the late mayor’s paper and memorabilia.
Establishing UIC––originally known as the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle when it opened in 1965––was described by the late mayor as this greatest contribution to the life of the city. Circle Campus merged with the university’s Medical Campus in 1982 to form UIC.
UIC is Chicago’s largest university with more than 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. The campus ranks among the nation’s top 50 universities in federal research funding. UIC has more than 145,000 alumni, more than 110,000 of whom live in the Chicago metropolitan area.
A hallmark of UIC is the Great Cities Commitment, through which faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.
Forum topics from previous years were:
2008: “Five Billion Urban Dwellers: The Creative Opportunity in the Growth of
Cities”; Featured Guests: Leaders of 50 Arab & U.S. Cities
2007: “Building the Future City”; Keynote: Robert Rubin
2006: “Globalizing Cities”; Keynote: Rudolph Giuliani
2005: “Learning from the Legacy”; Keynote: Michael Beschloss
