2-Dec-16 – Helping cities harness the economic power of their waterfront – be it river, lake, sea, or ocean – will be the topic of a worldwide forum of mayors next March in Chicago.

The mayors will exchange ideas on development projects intended to have economic, environmental, and social benefits for their cities. The forum will be co-hosted by Chicago and Paris. Like Chicago with its Riverwalk, Paris has built pedestrian and bicycle access to the Seine, the 483-mile-long river that flows through Paris on its way to the English Channel.

“The Chicago River and the Seine have defined our history, but they are also our future,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City on Thursday. “As we reimagine, redevelop, and reinvest in our waterfronts in Chicago, we can learn from cities across the world undergoing similar transformations, and they can learn from Chicago as well.”

The mayor’s office did not specify which cities will participate in the March 13 event but they are expecting “mayors from across the globe.”