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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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As globalization transforms economies around the world and more people move into urbanized areas, economic and population growth is increasingly converging. Between now and 2050, more than half the population growth and as much as two-thirds of the economic growth in the United States is projected to occur in interconnected areas known as megaregions. At least eight such megaregions have been identified in the United States. One of these is the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion (PAM), encompassing six states - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee - and including metropolitan areas from Raleigh to Birmingham.
In conjunction with other organizations, America 2050 - an initiative anchored by the Regional Plan Association - is preparing to recommended a plan to meet infrastructure needs in our nation in the coming century. To assist in this effort, forums are being conducted in the identified megaregions around the nation.
Featuring speakers at the forefront of these issues, the Forum will discuss a national agenda for infrastructure investment that could shape the domestic policy of the Obama administration and Congress. The forum will also address how an infrastructure plan can help America address key challenges, such as competing in the global economy, achieving energy independence, combating climate change, and positioning the nation for economic recovery and long-term prosperity.
Speakers include:
* Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Member of Congress, Oregon
* John Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
* William "Bill" Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
* Mortimer "Mort" Downey, Chairman of the Board, Parsons Brinckerhoff Consult
* Ray Christman, former President & CEO, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
* Mayor Pat McCrory, City of Charlotte, North Carolina
* Mayor Shirley Franklin, City of Atlanta, Georgia
