"By 2050, unchecked climate change might force more than 200 million people to migrate within their own countries, pushing up to 130 million people into poverty and unravelling decades of hard-won development achievements."

Ruma Bhargav | World Economic Forum

Why is this important?

Five global disruptors (i.e. automation, climate change, hyper-urbanization, pandemics, and widening wealth inequality) will irreversibly alter the 21st century. 

The interactive dynamic of the five global disruptors will pose a serious threat and challenge to the stability of States, their economy, and democracy—threatening to impose State failure. This instability—posing economic, political, and social instability—is beyond State failure and will pose humanitarian challenges.  

We have a narrow window of opportunity to mitigate the impact and/or avert the impact of the shocks. As a result, we must act now with urgency.

Automation

Within the next 10-12 years, automation will eliminate 43% of jobs, yet rapid reskilling has not kept pace with the expiration of jobs and reskilling bears a disparity in access regarding age, race, ability, location, and gender.

Climate Change

Climate change will exacerbate food deserts and undermine access to nutrient density, increase infant mortality rate and exposure to hazardous employment, as well as worsen health disparities.

Hyper-urbanization

In the U.S., as the residential occupation trends evolve with reduced migration to the suburbs and greater density (hyper-urbanization) in the city core, housing insecurity and affordability will create competition, displacing the vulnerable. Additionally, the infrastructure will be placed under stressed demand (e.g. multimodal transportation, service and program capacity, air quality, energy consumption, etc.) and costs will exclude vulnerable populations.

Pandemics

COVID-19 is the first of many epidemics we will encounter in our globalized society—hyper-urbanization will facilitate an expedited spread and fatalities if State and service readiness is not developed.

Wealth Inequality

By 2045, the U.S. will be a majority-minority country. However, that time period is also characterized by unsustainable levels of declined economic circulation—minorities will have a net wealth of zero. Essentially, the majority of the population will not possess the resources to support our consumer economy and navigate the shocks.

Mission

The Global American Cities Project (TGACP) helps cities, counties, and states in the United States that are facing tough times. We aim to turn these places into strong communities that can handle big challenges and where people can have good jobs and a stable life. Our work helps make local and state governments stronger and keeps our promise that everyone should have the chance to reach their American Dream.

"A.I. Will Not Displace Everyone, Everywhere, All at Once. It Will Rapidly Transform the Labor Market, Exacerbating Inequality, Insecurity, and Poverty."

Scott Santens | scottsantens.com

"Recent research by MSCI found that out of 97 countries analysed, only four had affordable rental real estate available that covered at least 50% of their urban populations... "

Lisette van Doorn et al. | "In the Age of Cities: The Impact of Urbanisation on House Prices and Affordability"

"Covid Death Rate Among Black Children Nearly Three Times Higher Than White Kids"

Ilena Peng | Bloomberg

"Inequality is deadly. We estimate that it contributes to the deaths of at least 21,300 people each day—or one person every four seconds."

Oxfam international

"Artificial intelligence is slated to disrupt 4.5 million jobs for African Americans, who have a 10% greater likelihood of automation-based job loss than other workers."

Allana Akhta | Business Insider

"Climate change poses an existential threat for humanity and has become the defining issue of our time. The outcome of the climate crisis will depend on whether democracies can drastically reduce their carbon footprints in the coming years."

Daniel Lindvall | "Democracy and the Challenge of Climate Change"

"As cities become more economically powerful, the demand for urban land is leading to escalating housing costs and competition...there is an oversupply of luxury housing and a lack of affordable housing in many cities across the world."

Dag Detter | World Economic Forum

"Poor people died from COVID at twice the rate of wealthy Americans, study finds."

Deborah Barfield Berry | USA Today

"Those in low- and middle-income groups have suffered a loss of income share...These trends in inequality have been associated with an erosion of the middle class and a decline in intergenerational mobility..."

Zia Qureshi | Brookings

What We Do

We provide the full spectrum of services to site transformation: the What (plan), the How (implementation process), the Who (identification and connection to essential players), and the How Much (cost analysis and funding connection).

What

The Plan

Our team of experts and researchers perform an in-depth analysis of the site's problems of practice alongside a hyperlocal ecosystem examination of the projected impact of the five global disruptors. We then facilitate the process of vision casting and develop a solution.

How

The Implementation Process

We don’t just provide a plan, but we lay out the process of implementation, the sequence, and deploy a project management tool to ensure vision clarity, execution ease, as well as monitoring and oversight capability among all stakeholders.

Who

Identification and Connection to Essential Players

We utilize our network to corral mission-aligned funders, experts as well as best practice and implemented innovators who’ve executed akin projects to be thought partners in the process of conceptualizing the “what”, thereby enriching the solution-defining process and crystallizing relationships among funders.

How much

Cost Analysis and Funding Connection

Great plans have often found a home on a shelf due to the inability to access funds for the identified catalytic projects. We deploy our Chartered Advisors of Philanthropy (CAP) and Certified Fundraising Executives (CFRE) to build a funding portfolio to secure the capital necessary to make the plans a reality.

The Solution

Our solution uses our copyrighted framework and software tool, which fit into our standardized process, to create a highly personalized transformation plan.

ASA

Information & Data

ASA is our API. We use it to gather and organize data in one convenient place. This helps us define the problems of practice and examine the dimensions that impact them.

Smart Urban Resilient Governance©
(SURG)

Governance & Collaboration

With our copyrighted framework, we assist and guide the local governance council in effectively addressing their community's current and future challenges.

Opportunity Zone Transformation Program© (OZTP)

Spatial Transformation

We use the term "program" intentionally, because programs are systems that continually adapt—a crucial aspect in bringing about spatial transformation, which consists of location, people, resources, and outcomes monitoring.

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The Process

Call to Action

We have a narrow window of opportunity to mitigate the impact and/or avert the impact of the shocks. As a result, we must act now with urgency. Work with us today to design your site's transformation plan to become a Global American City.

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