WELCOME TO THE GREAT LAKES AND ST. LAWRENCE CITIES INITIATIVE
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a multinational coalition of municipal and Indigenous government executives representing communities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region. Together, they are working to promote economic prosperity in their communities and protect fresh water for the benefit of current and future generations. The Cities Initiative and local officials integrate environmental, economic and social agendas and sustain a resource that represents approximately 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater supply, provides drinking water for 40 million people, and is the foundation upon which a strong regional economy is based.
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Annual Conference Milwaukee, WI 2025
Join us in Milwaukee, WI, from May 14-16, 2025, for The Future of Fresh Water: Leading the Way in an Era of Scarcity. Globally, access to clean water has become one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century as various trends – from skyrocketing demand and constrained public budgets to the persistent threats of pollution and floods – converge to endanger water supply, water quality, and ultimately, communities and people.
With about 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water, the communities of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region are on the frontlines of this challenge. At the same time, cities are being tasked to do more with less as their residents struggle with an affordability crisis. Mayors and municipal leaders across the region are championing the investments and innovation required to safeguard our most critical resource. Because when water is at risk, so is our economy, health, and future.
Don’t miss this opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and lead the way in addressing these challenges. Hosted by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, this conference will shine a spotlight on the vital role that local governments, industries, and innovators in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region play in tackling both regional and global water issues.
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View All NewsMC Mayor Joins Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Initiatives
View All InitiativesResilient Coastal Projects Initiative
With funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Fund for Lake Michigan and the Erb Family Foundation, the Cities Initiative has established a $2 million coastal resilience technical assistance program. The Resilient Coastal Project Initiative (RCPI) provides support to municipalities to increase local resilience to climate change using nature-based solutions that will connect people to nature and protect water quality. Partners for the RCPI include regional planning agencies, local non-profit organizations, state coastal programs and provincial conservation authorities, regulatory partners, and engineering partners, including Stantec and LimnoTech. By 2024, the RCPI will assist ninety communities in the United States in developing project plans and pursuing funding opportunities. The Cities Initiative is piloting the program in Ontario and Quebec in early 2023 and will pursue funding opportunities to expand the program’s reach in Canada.
Mayors Commission on Water Equity
The Mayors Water Equity Commission is comprised of approximately 10 mayors from across the Great Lakes region. The Cities Initiative staff will support its work with assistance from technical experts from the water industry and national leaders advancing integrated and inclusive approaches to water stewardship. The Commission will guide the development of an ongoing Water Equity Initiative for Great Lakes Cities that will develop cross-sector collaborations; exchange information and best practices; and build capacity among municipal governments and their partners to ensure equitable access to water resources and benefits. We also work with Congress and state legislatures to secure funding for badly needed water infrastructure investments in our cities.
Mayors Commission on Coastal Resilience
The purpose of the Cities Initiative’s Mayors Commission on Coastal Resilience is to work with the mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River on both sides of the border to develop a plan on how to mitigate the considerable damage to their shorelines caused by erosion, flooding and other impacts from high lake levels and climate change. Private sector, public sector and nonprofit agencies and organizations will come together to deliver recommended actions and examples of best practices.