A World to Shape: Life, Times People and Places that shaped my me

One of the world’s leading scholars and practitioners of urban policy, Professor Edward Blakely was Chair of City and Regional Planning At the University of California at Berkely for a decade. He was Berekely Dean of the School of Urban Planning and Development at the University of Southern California and Dean of the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, New School University in New York City. He serves as an Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at The University of Sydney. He is also the Founder and Principal of The Cities Leadership Institute. Besides Professor Blakely’s background in academia, the Professor has an extensive record of public service that includes advising Presidents of the United States both Democratic and Republican (Nixon& Clinton). President Clinton named Professor Blakely to serve on the Base Conversion Commission and later President Clinton appointed Blakely Vice-Chair of the Presidio Trust. Blakely retired in Australia in 2003, serving as Professor of Urban Planning and head of the Reference Committee for the Sydney Metropolitan Plan. In 2005, the US government asked Blakely to return to the US to guide the recovery operations in New Orleans after the devastating Katrina floods Blakely’s work was defined as both controversial for his grassroots and economic sustainability approach rather than restoring the bulwark of levees and cityscape. Blakely received a Habitat for Humanity, American Academy of Public Service and American Planning Academy awards along with numerous other recognitions nationally and internationally for leading social justice and economic and climate-sensitive approach to the rebuilding the great City of New Orleans.