The summit featured mayors, public and private sector leaders, journalists, academics, students and entrepreneurs discussing the stories, innovations and people who will transform our cities in the coming decades.

“Whether you’re building or rebuilding a city, sustainability is everyone’s responsibility.” – NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean (Joplin City Council) addresses the Planet Forward Summit at George Washington University on Thursday, April 22, 2016.

In celebration and recognition of Earth Day 2016, National League of Cities President Melodee Colbert-Kean joined municipal officials, private sector leaders and students from around the country at the Planet Forward Summit hosted at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

The event celebrated the power of storytelling to transform cities, making them more sustainable and livable for the next generation. President Colbert-Kean’s opening keynote for the conference focused on the hundreds of stories that she hears as an NLC leader from city officials throughout the country. “In today’s…