Private Roundtable with Mayor Annise D. Parker
MUMBAI, 21 April 2015 – In a notable conversation about the creation of sustainable living cities, Asia Society India Centre was delighted to host Mayor Annise D. Parker, Mayor of Houston, Texas and Dr. Reuben Abraham, CEO and Senior Fellow, IDFC Institute.
Mayor Parker highlighted the many remarkable achievements of Houston city in the realms of environmental stewardship and climate resilience. Emphasizing Houston’s dependence on wind as a source of renewable energy, Mayor Parker called attention to economic feasibility as an integral factor in ensuring the usage of renewables.
Sharing insights on Houstonian zoning, Mayor Parker argued that a lack of city zoning encouraged the natural renewal processes of the city.
As one of the US’s fastest growing cities, Houston is under immense pressure to develop quality infrastructure in a timely fashion; a conundrum that resonates well with Mumbai. Many other similarities between the two cities were drawn out in conversation, such as the common “pothole epidemic”, underscoring that certain shared problems remain despite vast cross-cultural differences.
Reported by Antaraa Vasudev, Programme Assistant, Asia Society India Centre.
This discussion is a part of Asia Society's BASIC series.The BASIC series presents intimate, invitation-only breakfast round tables that bring together eminent speakers from the fields of Asian business and policy. This represents the kind of informed forum, nuanced insight and new connections that Asia Society aims to bring to bear around key topics of relevance today.