from Vidya Dinker, CFMD
Media release

Mangalore, Dec 20: The Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development nurtures a vision of Mangalore as a well-planned, developed, equitable and humane city. Its members aim at sharing their thoughts to facilitate a planning process that can actualize the aspirations for the region.

Similar-thinking citizens are invited to participate in a presentation followed by discussion on the "Vision of Infrastructure for Greater Mangalore" by John Cope, Team Leader of Black and Veatch (International) Ltd, Project Management Consultants, KUDCEM Project, Coastal Karnataka  Response will be from Neema Kudva, Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, USA.

Austin Tauro, Former Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation and member of Citizens Forum will be the moderator.

Date: Thursday, December 21, 2006

Time: 5 to 7 pm

Venue:  MSW Auditorium, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Valencia.

John Cope has served as a consulting Engineer in many developing countries across the world. For over 5 years now, he has been overseeing the ADB-assisted urban infrastructure project in 10 coastal towns of Karnataka. He will share his insights and thoughts on this region based on his life's work and his experience of living and working in Mangalore.

The forum hopes that this would kickstart some thinking in the minds of citizens. Neema Kudva hails from this region and has embarked on a research project in Understanding Urbanization in Dakshina Kannada.