NACTO is proud to announce that in just seven years, the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) grew from a small startup incubated within NACTO to one of the most influential leaders on city streets around the world, and will now operate as an independent program.
From the Global Street Design Guide, to Designing Streets for Kids, GDCI has transformed streets around the globe, working directly with 30+ cities, training over 5,000 practitioners, receiving over 100 endorsements from cities, organizations, and countries worldwide, and last year receiving the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.
GDCI will now be managed under the fiscal home of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors–a nonprofit organization and international thought leader specializing in the support of high-impact global projects and strategic philanthropic initiatives.
“This is an incredibly exciting moment in the history and journey of GDCI,” said Skye Duncan, Executive Director of GDCI. “We’re eager to further embrace the needs of our global partners who are working to fundamentally change the role of streets in their cities, and RPA is well-equipped to support this growth so that we can engage more local staff, infuse even more local contextual considerations into our on-the-ground projects, and help to enhance our existing international team.”
“People in cities everywhere deserve safe, sustainable, and joyful streets. NACTO is proud to have incubated the Global Designing Cities Initiative to where it is now: a program that improves the lives of people in hundreds of cities worldwide,” said Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of NACTO. “While GDCI is now an independent initiative, we are excited to continue our partnership, bringing street innovations and ideas from around the globe to NACTO’s network of 90 cities in North America.”
“In just seven years, GDCI has grown from a nimble startup into an elite team of global urban innovators, bringing new life to city streets everywhere,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, NACTO chair. “This new alignment with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors will help GDCI strengthen its influential and independent voice as it reclaims and reimagines streets for the billions of people who live, work, travel and play on them.”
“RPA is thrilled to become GDCI’s fiscal sponsor,” said Walter Sweet, Senior Vice President, Sponsored Projects & Funds at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. “We are very excited to partner with a talented team on this important work.