Where Extreme Poverty Ends and Urban Transformations Begin

The Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI), a project of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, assists sub-Saharan cities in their efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, thereby helping to make severe poverty a thing of the past. MCI helps selected, under-resourced urban centers become viable, sustainable “Millennium Cities” — each with distinct livelihood opportunities, improved access to public services and links with the countryside and international markets. MCI accomplishes this through a combination of research and policy analysis, and by working with local, domestic and international partners to stimulate economic and social development.

"Stand Up for Girls" with MCI and LitWorld!

Take Action for Every Girl's Right to a Quality Education on 10.11.12, the International Day of the Girl

523 million girls and women worldwide cannot read or write.

MCI is working closely with LitWorld, an organization dedicated to achieving global literacy, to support programs that promote literacy and learning. MCI is joining LitWorld in this year’s “Stand Up for Girls” campaign to advocate for every girl's right to a quality education. By learning to read and write, all girls in the world can protect themselves against poverty, poor health outcomes and lifelong struggle. Literacy is a skill that once learned, is hers forever. “Stand Up for Girls” speaks to these issues and gives us all a chance, young and old, to show our daughters and the sisters of our hearts that we have not forgotten, that we want the world to be safe, fair and full of hope for all of them.

To learn more about how you can get involved and pledge your commitment to take action and create positive change for women and girls worldwide, visit LitWorld.

MCI Progress Report

"Spurring Sustainable Urban Development: Effecting Lasting Change in the Millennium Cities" is MCI’s latest progress report. This report celebrates MCI’s accomplishments in the course of our first six years, from our comprehensive research to our support for new investment opportunities to our groundbreaking programs in public health, education, gender equality, water, sanitation and urban design. We also take a look ahead at the next phase of our work, which will focus on empowering the Millennium Cities and enabling them to effect lasting change.

"We will support the Millennium Development Goals ... and we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time."
U.S. President Barack Obama

Learn More

Learn more about MCI's approach to confronting the challenges faced by Africa’s urban residents. As our video suggests, there is a global movement underway, committed to improving the quality of life for millions of Africa’s urban residents. Watch the video.