News Briefs

Ross Advises White House Office on Urban Affairs

July 6, 2009

Catherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and director of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Institute of Technology, has been invited to assist President Barack Obama’s recently created White House Office of Urban Affairs as it charts a new course for the nation. The White House Office of Urban Affairs was created for the purpose of coordinating federal agencies that impact urban policies in order to ensure thoughtful and integrated investment in urban areas. The office is also charged with identifying policies that will best leverage the assets of our metropolitan areas.

Catherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and director of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Tech, has been invited to assist President Barack Obama’s recently created White House Office of Urban Affairs.

Adolfo Carrión Jr., director of Urban Affairs, recently stated, “We want to essentially tease out what the elements of a national agenda ought to be.” Ross has extensive experience in regional planning, infrastructure planning and development. She is the author of the recently released “Megaregions: Planning for Global Competitiveness,” published by Island Press in July 2009. Ross co-authored “The Inner City: Urban Poverty and Economic Development in the Next Century,” published by Transaction Press.

President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden created the White House Office of Urban Affairs to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to help direct federal dollars targeted for urban areas. Carrión reports directly to the President and is responsible for coordinating all federal urban programs.

For more information Contact Matthew Nagel (Phone: 404-894-7460)